World of the Dead and the Lonely
by Sirius Degas
Summary: OKay, chapter 11 up, chapter 12 underway, visit my web page to see pix of Iktomi and others that are soon to come.
1. World of the Dead and the Lonely

I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER BUT J. K. ROWLING, I MERELY OWN DEGAS AND JESTER FRASER (MY LITTLE SISTER) OWNS UUTTE… HEE HEE HEE

The World of the Dead and the Lonely

          The black shadow ran fast down the deserted streets of the sleeping town. The black, midnight skies perfectly hid the runner, as how she was wearing baggy black jeans tucked into black boots, her black tang top was tight, showing off her curves and muscles. She was lean, with jet black hair cut half and inch above her ears and all the way down her head leaving only a small patch in the center bottom, the patch was braided and reached the small of her back. Her eerie green eyes would turn silver every once and while with the changing of her mood.

          She rounded the corner and suddenly stopped dead. A huge black dog looked up from a garbage can and seemed to be in shock of seeing her. She looked around and then watched the dog intently. It took a few steps toward her and she turned heel and ran again. The dog, still shocked by the sight of her, merely stood there, dumbfounded.

          As the sun slowly rose over Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the young female made her way across the school grounds and into the main castle. The Hogwarts Express would arrive later that night; she looked around and consulted a map she produced from her pocket. It was a mock mimic of the Marauder's Map. She looked up and headed down a hall, she tapped the map with her wand and slid it into her pocket. She reached the corner of the wall and leaned against it. Moments later Professor Dumbledore turned her corner and jumped in surprise.

          "Degas, this is an unexpected surprise." He said in his usual scratchy voice. 

          She bowed slightly and smiled. 

          "And what do I owe to this surprise?"

          She looked around and stood up straight. "Professor, I know I have already graduated from this school years and years ago, but I am asking you to let me enroll here as a student once more."

          "Yes, I gathered as much, but why?"

          She frowned. "My reasons are my own."

          Dumbledore frowned. "I am sorry Degas, I cannot allow you to be enrolled unless I know the reasons. The last time you were in this school you graduated with me."

          Degas laughed, her tall lean body shaking with her hardy laugh. "Dumbledore you have not changed."

          "Please, we know each other on a first name Degas."

          She nodded. "All right Albus." She calmed down. "All right, my reasons are this: I heard that you rehired Remus Lupin again and you also accepted Uutte. Is this all true?"

          "I cannot deny it."

          Degas nodded. "Of course, now, here's the thing. Did you ever read the whole back ground on Uutte?"

          "I just heard that she has been having a lot of trouble in America with her family and the school. Her family sent an owl to me directly and asked if she could transfer. I had her file sent to me and I accepted her. She'll be a Slytherin of course."

          "Yeah, well, I've been watching Uutte and I think that she should be watched more closely."

          "Why?"

          "I just have this bad gut feeling." Degas said rubbing her stomach.  

          Albus watched her and nodded. "Does she know that you have been watching her?"

          "Does anyone ever know that I watch them?"

          Albus shook his head. "No, I guess not." He thought for a moment. "All right, tonight at the feast I'll announce the transfer of Uutte and yourself. What house shall you have?"

          Degas thought for a long hard moment then smiled. "What other house would accept me?"

          Albus smiled. "So it is done."

          Degas smiled and hugged him. "Oh, yeah, where is Minerva anyways? I need to ask her a few things." Degas looked around, a very mischievous looked swamped her features. 

          "She is down in the Great Hall I do believe."

          Degas bowed slightly again and ran off. 

          "And those go over there." Minerva pointed a house elf in the direction of grand entry doors. She turned abruptly and shrieked in surprise. Degas stood face to face with her, their noses nearly touching. "Degas!" Minerva shouted.

          "Yeah, nice to see you too McGonagall."

          The Professor stepped back and fully looked at Degas. "I have to admit, it is rather nice to set eyes upon you again Degas. What brings you here? Again?"

          "Albus will bring you to speed with why I am here. I have my reasons."

          "How many times have you been enrolled in this school?"

          "About thirty times. The last time was with the Marauders' of course." Degas bowed slightly. "I came to you to ask if my old room is being occupied at the moment."

          "Room thirteen? No, everyone is too suspicious to room there. You've jinxed it rather well, eerie noises, a personal poltergeist? Degas that is very cruel."

          Degas shrugged. "What can I say? When one is stuck in a time rift for over a century one tends to get rather bored." Degas looked around. "This place is really cozy, when there are no students around."

          Minerva nodded. "Yes, well, you are a student now right? So it just lost its coziness."

          Degas whistled. "Cold. The same old Minerva I knew way, way, back then."

          Minerva playfully punched Degas in the arms. 

          "Hey, watch it, the professor are suppose to have a professional relationship with the students. You don't want them to think that you are the laid-back McGonagall I knew in school right?"

          Minerva laughed. "First name basis."

          Degas bowed slightly. "Only when students are not present."

          Minerva laughed and Degas left. She headed for the Gryffindor common room. When the fat lady saw her she jumped up squealing in pleasure.

          "Degas! It's been forever!"

          Degas laughed. "Nonsense." She chuckled. "Only a few years now. Does my master password still work?"

          "Of course. It always will for you Degas."

          "It is so nice to see you Viola." Degas bowed to the fat lady. "Sprite." 

          The porthole opened and Degas climbed in. she headed down to her old room and pulled out her wand. "Accio luggage!" Degas pointed her wand to her bed and three footlockers, two leather bags and small leather shoulder bag appeared on her old bed. She unpacked everything and stretched out on her bed. There was still another five good hours until the train arrived, she figured, I'll get some sleep then go see Hagrid. She smiled and dozed off quickly.

          "Degas! Good ter' see yeh!" Hagrid wrapped his arms around Degas and pulled her into a strong hug. 

          Degas held her breath. "You too."

          He set her down. "So! What brings yeh back ter' 'Ogwarts?"

          "Business." Degas answered. "I just need you to do me a favor."

          "Name it."

          "Watch over Harry when you can. Like a hawk's eye on a dinner mouse." Degas said and smiled. "I believe that something is up, I have this gut feeling, and I really don't like it."

          "Sure, sure," Hagrid laughed. "I mus' be off. Express be in any minut' now." He opened the door. "Visit any time."

          Degas trotted outside, I must have over slept. She told herself. She waved to Hagrid. "I will!" she smiled and ran back to the castle. She ran to the Gryffindor tower and stood outside the porthole for a moment. "Sprite." She said slowly and walked in. She ran to her room and opened the window. "Where is my baby?" she muttered into the air. "Return to me, my baby." She waited a moment then, out of nowhere, a giant golden eagle appeared carrying a caged snowy owl. The eagle handed Degas the caged and flew off again. Degas opened the cage and the owl hooted a thanks. "Off to the owlery with you Galileo." The owl hooted and flew off. Degas dressed in her robes and fell asleep again.

          Degas awoke with a start and ran as quickly as she could to the great hall and into the dining area.

          "Ah, right on cue." Professor Dumbledore smiled. "Everyone, along with our other new student Uutte this is Degas Oso, they are both transferring here form the United States. Uutte will be with the Slytherin house." There came a loud cheer from the Slytherin table. "And Degas will be in the Gryffindor table." A cheer from the table to Degas's right was louder. "Please treat them as if they had been here from the start." Dumbledore smiled at Degas and proceeded with his announcements. Degas took a seat next to the Weasley twins, Fred and George. They smiled at Degas and shook her hand.

          "America eh? What's it like there?" Fred asked.

          "Any good joke shops?" George asked.

          Degas handed them a bag full of practical jokes and gags. They sifted through it and thanked Degas. "You'll have to be careful with some of those. Like the Twisted Reaper."

          Fred held it up. "This?"

          "Yes, all you have to do with that is set it in someone's room or in their walking path. With they see it; it will instantly feed off their mind and spring to life. A shower of sparks, a long eerie scream and then a Grim Reaper will appear. It will slowly walk toward the victim and then will disappear about a foot in front of it. Black smoke will then fill the room and if the victim is has not already fainted then the black smoke will make them." Degas laughed. "They will wake up totally confused, frightened, and there will be absolutely no evidence that the Twisted Reaper was ever there."

          Fred smiled broadly. "I like it!"

          Degas looked over at Harry who was a seat away. He was laughing at something Ron had said. Just then Degas realized that Hermione was sitting between Harry and herself. Degas quickly looked down at her empty plate and started to gather food.

          Hermione looked over at Degas and smiled. "America huh? How was it?"

          Degas looked at her. "It was fun."

          "Why transfer here?"

          "I had problems over there. And Professor is all about second chances isn't he?"

          Hermione scoffed and turned away.

          Degas ate quickly and left. She reached the porthole and pulled out the Marauder's map. She watched Mrs. Norris round a corner above her and Professor Snape walking quickly toward her. She leaned against the wall opposite of the portrait and waited. 

          "Degas Oso!" he hissed. "What on earth are you doing back here at Hogwarts? Surely you have not enrolled again!"

          Degas glared at him. "Still not over me not willing to go out with you all those years ago huh Severus?"

          "You will address me as Professor Snape!" 

          "No." Degas chuckled. "You will address me as Oso. I am older and wiser then you Severus! I know so many things that you yourself could never dream to know!" she pulled out her wand. "Like, a person caught in their own time rift is technically dead so the laws of the Ministry does not necessarily apply. Which means…" she pulled out her wand. "_Crucio_!" 

          Severus twisted in and howled in pain. Degas stood by him smiling. She waved her wand and he collapsed to the floor.

          "You see, since I was suppose to die over a century ago, I am in no file, which means I can perform the curse and not be sent to Azkaban." She smiled and walked off.

          Snape watched after her, muttered something and slinked away.

          "Is it true? Do you actually know all the Unforgivable Curses and can perform them without being punished?" eager students asked.

          Degas nodded. "I can."

          Hermione, who had been listening to this for the past twenty minutes or so sighed loudly and walked up to her. "I don't think that you can Miss. Degas Oso! I think that you are lying because you want people to like you and you don't know how to be yourself!"

          The students glared at Hermione maliciously.

          Degas looked up at her, the whole of the Gryffindor common room was watching them intently. Degas shrugged. "You know what Hermione? You're absolutely right. I don't know how to be myself because I am merely an American little girl who knows absolutely nothing, who has the perfect little life, has the millions of dollars to her disposal and am just a bag full of hot air." 

          "Now that you say it like that it sounds just silly." Hermione shook her head and walked away quickly.

          The other students stared at Degas, Harry and Ron glared at her. Degas shrugged and looked down at her left hand where a giant scar screamed its way across her wrist.

          "Do you really have a perfect life?" one student piped.

          "And millions of dollars?" another chimed.

          "No, I have anything but a perfect life, my parents died a long time ago and I have a limited amount of money. In the summers I work for whoever to get more money so I can live."

          The students laughed, in the back Harry muttered something to Ron and they went to their rooms. Degas looked around and stood up. "Well, I am off to bed."

          "Aaaahhhh…" the students whined. "Can't you stay longer?"

          "Yeah, we want to hear more of America."

          "We want to know where you've worked before."

          Degas laughed. "I have millions of stories of where I've worked. I'll tell you all of them through out the year. Don't worry." She smiled and walked off to her room.

          "Degas, a word before class please?" McGonagall asked and pulled Degas to a side. Hermione, who was walking behind Degas, slowed her pace to listen.

          "Yes Professor McGonagall?" Degas asked.

          "It is barely the fourth day of school and every time I walked into the common room you are always by yourself Degas. Are you still thinking about your parents?"

          Degas sighed defeated. "You would think," her voice crumpled and empty. "That even after a century that I would have forgiven myself for their death."

          "Degas, it is not your fault that they died and you were caught in this… this…" McGonagall was at a loss for words.

          "This personal time rift?"

          Hermione stopped dead in her tracks and listened intently.

          "Yes," McGonagall started again. "It is not your fault that you and your friends were caught in the time rift and set to live as teenagers forever."

          Degas sighed. "Yeah, being immortal isn't all it is cracked up to be." Degas again looked down at her scarred wrists. "Nothing works that I could have possibly tried. Even the _Avada Kedavra_ curse doesn't work."

          "You've tried it?"

          "Ten times in a row!" Degas exclaimed. "All three of us have tried it, it doesn't work and we thought we would at least be sent to Azkaban for performing it, but it turns out that we weren't. Since we were suppose to die all those years ago we are on no files and therefore technically do not exist. If we do not exist then we cannot be punished."

          "Does Albus know this? That you can perform the curses and not be punished by the Ministry for it?"

          Degas nodded. "He knows and made me promise not to perform it on any of the students or I would have to be thrown out of Hogwarts for all time." Degas shrugged. "No biggie."

          McGonagall sighed. "Degas, it is still not your fault."

          Degas shook her head. "I shouldn't have gone out that morning!" she gripped her hair and gritted her jaw. "It wouldn't have happened if I had just stayed home and argued the rest of the damn argument!"

          McGonagall sighed heavy. "Degas, it was meant to be, I am sorry to say that but it is true. There is no such thing as coincidence you told me that yourself! Everything happens for a reason, to every action there is a reaction, to very cause an effect. The murderer would have appeared at your house whether you were there or not, the only difference would have been that you would have died."

          Degas looked away.

          "Hey, you left the house, you were saved."

          Degas blinked back tears. "Only to live immortally as a seventeen year old." Degas squeezed through clenched teeth. She forced a smile at Minerva and walked off.

          Hermione walked off before Degas realized that she had eavesdropped on their conservation.

          McGonagall walked into the classroom and started the lesson.

          At lunch Degas stayed in the library and wrote in what appeared to be an ancient leather bound book. 

          "What is that?" Hermione asked.

          Degas slammed the book shut and looked up. "What are you doing peering over my shoulder? How much did you see?"

          Hermione stepped back. "I only saw words, just words. I was standing here not longer then a second. I just got here."

          Degas sighed and set the book on the table. "What do you want? To insult me more?" 

          Hermione looked hurt and guilty. "No, actually I came here to apologize."

          Degas nodded. "Where no one would hear you and no one would know? Very nice Miss. Granger." Degas nodded and peered into the book. She chuckled and scribbled something down. She closed the book and looked at Hermione again.

          "Fine," Hermione began to walk away. "I'll apologize later tonight." She stopped. "Just answer me one thing."

          "Yes ma'am I live to serve."

          "How did you get caught in a time rift?"

          Degas stared at Hermione stunned and Hermione walked off. Degas opened the book jotted something down, put her book in her bag shoulder bag and ran off to Minerva.

          "Did you tell her?" 

          "No I didn't Degas, how could she have known?"

          "I don't know." Degas paced the staff lounge.

          Minerva thought hard. "Oh," she gasped. "Maybe she heard us talking before my class this morning. Maybe she heard and now she knows."

          Degas bit her lower lip. "Shit, we can't have the whole school talking about this. This can't get out to anymore people."

          "Miss. Granger might have already told Potter and Weasley." Minerva worried. "We have to talk to her."

          Degas nodded. "Right, you send for her, I have to talk to Dumbledore."

          Minerva nodded and they went their separate ways.

          Degas really wasn't going to go talk to Dumbledore; she went to the Potions classroom and spied in on Uutte who was brewing two potions at once. Degas growled and slinked off, but not before Professor Snape caught a glimpse of her. She returned to the Transfiguration classroom and walked in on Hermione and Minerva talking.

          "You as a staff member should not keep secrets like this from the students!" Hermione shouted.

          "Unless!" Degas shouted, cutting in. "Unless this secret was here to protect the other students from a possible hostile predator."

          "Degas," Minerva sighed. "Find Dumbledore?"

          "Not exactly, I was going to go find him when I happened to pass the potions dungeon, I looked in and saw Uutte brewing two potions, is that allowed here now? It wasn't last time I was here."

          "Oh yeah? Which last time are we talking about here?" Hermione shot.

          Degas pulled out her wand but Minerva was quick to pull out hers in defense of Hermione.

          "Come on Minerva, let me hit her with Imperius or Cruciatus."

          "No Degas! One, it is forbidden by Dumbledore for you to perform these on a student and two, I shall not allow it." Minerva stepped in front of Hermione who was quivering with sheer terror now.

          "You look as though you are about to piss your pants Miss Granger. If you ever tell anyone about me being in this personal time rift or anything else you might have heard when you listened in on Minerva and I this morning, then so help me god I _will_ do a cruse on you no matter who says what!"

          "That is quite enough Degas!"

          Degas dropped her wand and hugged Minerva. Minerva put her wand away and pulled Degas away from Hermione.

          "Shh… Shh… there, there… no harm done this time Degas, you didn't do anything but threaten." Minerva patted the weeping girls head. "No harm came to Hermione. You didn't do anything."

          Degas slid to the floor and leaned back on the teacher's desk. She wiped her eyes and smiled at Minerva. "I think I am getting better at this."

          "You are." Minerva said in a soothing voice. "You are not killing people as easily as you use too."

          Hermione fainted. The two looked at her and went on talking.

          Degas sat in the common room consulting her leather book once more. She scribbled furiously on it's pages, chuckling every once and a while. Hermione sat by Ron and Harry occasionally looking up to see Degas watching her with an intent look of curiosity. Finally Hermione stood up and slowly walked toward Degas. Degas closed her book lightly and looked up.

          "Degas," Hermione started.

          "Yes?"

          "I… I'm…"

          The common room fell silent as all eyes fell on the two girls.

          "I am sorry about being mean to you Degas Oso. I hope you will accept my apology."

          Degas nodded. "Apology accepted."

          The common room cheered.

          "I need to talk to you in private Hermione." Degas whispered in her ear.

          Hermione nodded and they left for Degas's room.

          "Yes?"

          "Well, since you already know about me being in a time rift and all, I suppose I should tell you the rest of it."

          "You mean there is more?" Hermione asked.

          Degas whistled. "Girl, there is a shit load more to this than meets the eye. And if you swear to me that you will not tell anyone, not even the staff, then I will tell you all there is to me."

          Hermione nodded.

          "To start this off, I am a Morph."


	2. Painful Memories

I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER J. K. ROWLING DOES, I OWN DEGAS OSO AND MY LITTLE SISTER (JESTER FRASER) OWNS UUTTE (PRONOUNCED EU-EU-TAA THE TAA IS A LONG SOUND IT IS FROM THE CROW TRIBE LANGUAGE IT MEANS WEASEL WHICH IS PART OF OUR LAST NAME) PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!

Painful memories

          "When I was seventeen, mortally, I lived with my family and we traveled around a lot. My family stopped to visit my uncle in Scotland and this is where it all started. I use to visit my Uncle Farfren a lot and I grew to know three other boys that lived near my Uncle. Their names are: Binx, Galileo and Jak. That morning when it all happened, I was arguing with my parents about my little sister Sarah, I was tired of always being blamed for her misactions, I was sick of taking care of her, of watching her of always having to keep my eye on their child. Finally the argument turned to my grades I was getting from the schools I attended. I tried to tell them that it isn't exactly easy to attend school when I am changing schools every week or so, but this was no excuse. They said I was being immature and selfish I got so mad… I left…"

~*FLASHBACK*~

          "Why don't you just run away Degas?"

          "Yeah, you can come live with me."

          "But you live right down the lane from my Uncle Jak, you too Binx, I can't exactly do that now can I?"

          "I know! Go to Hogwarts!" Galileo said.

          "People who go there have to be certified by the house keepers don't they?" Degas asked.

          "Yeah, right, I forgot." Galileo scratched his head. 

          "You can always run away to America."

          "Not much there Jak ol' chap. Just a bunch of Yankees who don't know what it means to have a bit o' fun now."

          Degas laughed. "You guys are the best medicine for bad mood."

          The three boys bowed. "Thank you."

          "Why don't we go down to the lake for a swim? It is a bloody hot day and I can use the cooling down." Degas suggested and they ran out.

          They swam for hours then finally decided it was time to head home.

          "We'll walk you home, you know, back you up if your parent go off." Jak said.

          "Naw, it's okay you guys, you can head home."

          "All right! Dinner here I come!" Binx jumped but run off. "Uh, on second thought I think that I'll hang with you for a while. The house is rather empty with my parents on vacation to Bora-Bora."

          Everyone laughed. As they neared Degas's Uncle's home they heard an awful scream of sheer agony. They looked at each other and ran for the house. A brilliant green light filled the air and Uncle Farfren ran from the house only to be hit with the same green light. Degas screamed and tried to run to her family but the boys pulled her back and into someone's garden. They looked around but the street was completely empty.

          "We have to do something! That's my family!"

          "Degas! That light is the light given off when the _Avada Kedavra_ curse is preformed. If your family… your family…" Jak widened his eyes and looked around the corner and gasped. "Something is coming our way!"

          They all pulled out their wands, Degas, full of pure rage stood in front of them all. The stranger walked around the corner, there was a brilliant flash of blue light and they all passed out.

~*END FLASHBACK*~

          "When we awoke we were all lying in front of my Uncle's fireplace. There was scroll in my hand; I read it aloud for them. I remember it like it was yesterday…" 

~*FLASHBACK*~

          " 'Explorers:

                    Welcome! Welcome to your new life as immortal children! I was going to kill you three but I thought, a better curse would be a curse not of death… no, but of life! You will forever be as you are now! You are in a time rift of your very own. Nothing will ever get you out of there, for once you are in, there is no going back. Have a nice life…

                                                                   ???'"

          "Shit!" Binx cursed. "This isn't good!"

          Jak looked down and saw a copy of the Daily Prophet. "Hey, look at this. 'Murderer running loose in Scotland and England… already killed the Oso family and three close friends… no information whatsoever about this murderer.' This is seriously not good!"

          The three friends starred at each other. The silence seemed the only friend they had left.

~*END OF FLASHBACK*~

          "Forever looking like this… forever seventeen." Degas sighed. "We had no idea what to do with our lives. We were dead. So we took as much money as we could get from my parent's home and account and we left. We set off to start a new immortal life. It was hard, but we got use to it, we out ourselves to learn things. And at the top of the list was becoming a full blood Morph. Now, what drew me to these guys in the first place was weird feeling I got around them. All three of us had in our blood the Morph virus. Morphs are an extinct race now but they use to be a race of people who could change into anything at their will. Like animagi but they could change into any animal they were not limited to just one transformation. When the last person of that race died he sent his soul out into time. In its travels it broke into four pieces. And we were the ones to get his soul, so we met and in out immortal beginnings we dedicated ourselves to become full-blooded Morphs. This took extensive practice; let me tell you that, it took us a full ten years before we had it all down. Of course we took our sweet time doing it.

          "But after the first fifty years we were growing insane and we tried to kill each other and ourselves. But nothing worked. We tried the curses, the stabbing the shooting with muggle guns but nothing worked! We even took daggers to our wrists and tried to bleed to death but all that did was leave horrific scars and not much else. So we gave up. We went our separate ways helping each other when one of us asked for help. We've been this way forever now. I've made so many friends, most of them vampires. It is funny… and pathetic when you think about it. But it is life now… what is one suppose to do?"     

          Hermione sighed. "Degas, I could have never guessed. I'm… I'm truly sorry for everything. Where did you and your friends live?"

          Degas shrugged. "We lived in a place called San Marida. But listen. When I was in America I heard some news that was very difficult to swallow. In the muggle world they have this process where a human embryo can be removed from a woman and frozen and then later thawed out, placed into another woman and a baby can be born. The term for this I am not sure, but it has happened to an embryo that should have never been created."

          "What?"

          "Voldermort… has a child. He never knew about it. His girlfriend was pregnant but she was killed and the doctors took the embryo out and froze it, but only for a little while. They put it in a ready other and she gave birth to a baby girl. And this girl is now here at Hogwarts and she is after Harry Potter that is why I am here. I promised one of my dear friends that I would take care of her son if anything should happen to him that his godfather does not know about. And I am pretty sure that Sirius does not know about this. I went to school with the Marauders it was very fun, very appealing, though I always knew there was something terrible wrong with that Peter guy, a rotten apple."

          "Voldermort has a daughter? Who is it?"

          "Uutte."


	3. Pain of the Deathday

I NO OWN HARRY POTTER, J. K. ROWLING DOES AND I'M GLAD OF THAT CUZ SHE'S A GREATER WRITER! THIS IS CHAPTER THREE I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT, PLEASE READ AND REVIEW, I'D DO IT FOR YOU. THE SONG BELONGS TO THE ANIME MOVIE BLACK JACK. (WHICH IS A TOTALLY AWESOME MOVIE!!)

Pain of the Death Day

          Degas stood at the edge of the lake on the crisp Saturday morning with fully blossomed, stemless roses in her hands. She starred across the waters and closed her eyes. A soft breeze blew past her and she smiled. Hermione and Professor Lupin walked out of castle and started toward her.

          'A voice sings out in the forest night

          Leads my way like a candle light

          If I can hear it so can you

          A cry that echoes through thy ears

          It clears my mind of its deepest fears

          If I can hear it why can't you?

          The owl calls out to me and shows me where to go

          San Marida, to San Marida

          A voice sings out in the forest night

          Hush little one it'll be all right

          My white owl is calling you.'

          Degas sang this song as she crushed the roses in her hand and let the gentle breeze lift the petals out of her hand and across the lake. A single tear fell down her cheek and she sat down. She reached inside her bag and pulled out the leather book. She pulled out her quill and ink and started to write. She set the book on her lap and stretched. She read the book carefully and wrote some more. She looked across the lake and her owl was flying toward her.

          Hermione and Lupin stopped and watched.

          The owl landed next to Degas and transformed into a tall, thin, young man with long, straight brown hair. He was dressed in a long black robe and he tied his hair back with a small ribbon. He sat next to Degas and hugged her.

          "It is painful for you no?" the young man asked. 

          "It is," she said in a shaky voice. "Even after all this time."

          "Do you know what this is about?" Lupin asked Hermione is a hushed voice.

          "I am guessing her past." Hermione shrugged.

          The stranger pulled the book into his lap and scribbled something down. "It was very nice of you to being me here to Hogwarts Degas, it has been such a long time since I have been here. Are the others going to come?"

          "Binx said he was on his way. He'll be here shortly."

          "And Jak?"

          "That's who was writing." She pointed to the book.

          "Ah, I see, he's also on his way."

          Degas nodded and put the book back into her bag. She leaned into the stranger and closed her eyes. "Galileo?"

          "Yes?"

          "I am happy that you are here."

          He chuckled. "I am happy that I am here too."

          Lupin and Hermione turned and walked back to the castle.

          "Why did you want to talk to her Professor?" Hermione asked. 

          "When I was at school Degas was with us. I never knew why, since the first year she always looked the same throughout the seven years. She was a great trickster and just by herself she was able to make a mock mimic of our map in just a few days. She could disappear without the help of an invisibility cloak, like apparating and disapparating but I knew that it was not possible on Hogwarts grounds, but I knew that I was seeing her being there one moment and gone the next and I did not know how she did it." Lupin sighed. "She was a great friend, to all of the Marauders, especially Lily, when Harry was going to be born Degas promised to take care of Harry of problems that Sirius either did not know of or could not take care of. And I think that is why she is here."

          Hermione nodded keeping in mind that Degas told her not to tell anyone that she now knew about her past. When they reached the castle Hermione bid farewell to Professor Lupin and headed for the common room.

          A giant golden eagle about the size of a small mountain flew in over the forest with a giant white tiger on its back. They landed and transformed into people. Degas smiled and clapped.

          They all sat down together and hugged each other for a long moment. 

          Hermione watched from the common room as they sat in a circle and began to talk.

          "So Degas, you enrolled yet again?" Binx, a tall man with wavy blond hair and blue eyes smiled. He wore a baggy white tang top and black jeans and no shoes. He was the white tiger on the eagle's back.

          Jak, the eagle, wore a yellow tang top and back jeans and sneakers. His hair was shoulder length, black and very straight. He smiled at Degas and nodded. "IS it as fun as the last, what? Thirty times?"

          Everyone laughed.

          "Damn it is so good to be with you all once again. To ease the pain of being apart." Degas said cheerfully.

          "Come now," Binx chuckled. "We've only been apart one year. You missed us that much?"

          "Well," Galileo pointed out. "We only see each other on one day of the year. And it is always our death day."

          They all fell silent. There was nothing to say about that. They did always seem to meet each other on the exact same day that they "died" from the mortal world.

          "Well, that aside," Binx nodded. "What is new with everyone?"

          "I've been working with someone named Weasley or other, with dragons. It is really fun." Jak said. "Of course sometimes I loose my self and I transform into dragons when I am on break and I talk to the other dragons and it is really cool." 

          Everyone laughed.

          "You always were the one to transform into something just to talk to it." Galileo laughed.

          "Well, what about you Galileo?"

          "Well, if you must know, I have been working for the Ministry as a messenger." Galileo smiled. "Always in owl form of course. I was heading back to the office when you captured me in that cage and took me to Hogwarts to be with Degas."

          Jak puffed out his chest. "And damn proud of myself that I could actually catch you like that."

          "Well," Binx interrupted. "I have been traveling around the world seeing the different sights and carnivals and festivals and all. There is this Greek island where no one lives and the water is always warm and so clear. It is like utopia."

          "Until a storm blows in." Degas said and they all laughed.

          "Yeah, until a storm storms in." Binx nodded.

          Degas walked into the castle, her friends had left, Galileo was back in the owlery again and it was nearly sun set. Degas walked into the kitchen and looked around.

          "Degas ma'am!" a house elf gasped. "You are back?"

          "Hello Glibly." Degas smiled. "You are still here?"

          "Oh Glibly is always here ma'am, Glibly loves it here at Hogwarts." The house elf chimed with a smile of pride. "Everyone at Hogwarts is usually nice."

          "I am sure they are Glibly." Degas chuckled.

          "Can I get Glibly get you anything?"

          "Something to eat, I am going to go miss dinner tonight, I have some thinking to do."

          Glibly nodded and ran off. He returned moments later with a small parcel of food. He handed Degas a couple of bottles of butter beer and he smiled widely. 

          "Thank you Glibly." Degas nodded. "Thank you very, very much."  
          "Glibly is always happy to help Degas ma'am. Degas ma'am is always welcomed at the kitchen." He bowed.

          Degas bowed slightly back, careful not to drop anything and she left for the common room. She placed the parcel in her bag and removed her leather book and carried it. As she reached the portrait she heard voices. She stopped around the corner of the Gryffindor common room and peered around the wall. Uutte and Draco were standing outside the portrait talking to it. Degas quickly hid her bag and book behind a suit of armor and, after checking to make sure no one was in the hall, she transformed into a black panther. She ran around the corner and hissed loudly. Draco and Uutte jumped, Uutte dropped a slip of paper. Degas jumped and barely missed Draco as they turned heel and ran yelling. Degas looked around and transformed back into a human and picked up the slip of paper. 

          "Lists of pass words?"

          "Degas?" the fat lady asked in a shaky voice. 

          "Viola, are you all right?"

          "You nearly scarred me to death coming round the corner as a panther. I nearly forgot that you are a morph."

          Degas laughed. "I'll be right back." Degas ran around the corner and retrieved her bag and book. She came back and smiled. "I am sorry to scar you like that Viola."

          "Oh, posh, you know you love scaring people." Viola laughed.

          "Yeah," Degas nodded her head with a laugh. "Sprite."

          The porthole opened and Degas walked in. Hermione was waiting for her on the couch in front of the fire.

          "Who were those people you were with this morning?"

          Degas starred at her blankly. They were the only two in the common room. Everyone else was eating desert by now. 

          "You were spying on me Hermione?"

          "No," she shook her head. "I'd never do that. Professor Lupin and I were going to go talk to you, I just wanted to talk, and I think Professor had something certain in mind. But we saw you with some guy who transformed into a human from the form of an owl."

          "Galileo." Degas smiled. "He is my messenger owl when I am here at Hogwarts, he is also one of my best friends. The others are Jak and Binx. Their forms are their identity forms in Morph."

          "Identity form?"

          Degas nodded and sat next to her. "When you become a full fledge Morph then you are born into their race with one specific form, this is your identity form. Animagi's can only change into one animal yes?"

          Hermione nodded. 

          "Well, in the beginning we are bound to one transformation. This transformation helps us get the hang of being a morph. When we get better at being a morph then we begin to change into different things. They were all in their identity forms, Jak is a giant golden eagle, Binx is giant white tiger and I am panther. And as I already said Galileo is a snowy owl."

          Hermione nodded. "Ah, I see."

          "We always meet each other on the day that we died from the mortal world. And today is our one hundred and one year of being immortal."

          Hermione nodded solemnly. "What is it like? To never change. Did you always look like that?" Hermione pointed to Degas's hair.

          "This?" Degas frowned. "I did this to make my parents mad, it was my way of rebelling. If I'd have known I would have been immortally stuck this way, I probably still would have done it." Degas smiled. "Many people might not like it but I think it is fitting."

          Hermione nodded. "It is very fitting."

          Degas pulled out her parcel and handed a butter beer to Hermione. "Did you eat?"

          She shook her head. "No, I was waiting for you."

          Degas nodded and handed her a bit of food. They spilt the meal in half and ate happily.

          "My life is not as bad as I might make it seem. The times we were suicidal were times that we just couldn't handle watching our friends be born, grow old and die and we never changed. We follow our friends though the ages. We never forget them; never forget what they looked like. It is hard sometimes but we have fun in our endless years. Skydiving, bungee jumping, mountain climbing and repelling, scuba diving, swimming across oceans these are the things that we love to do and since we cannot die, even from starvation, we can do these things forever. But I would have to say my favorite thing of all of these would be motorcycle racing." Degas rubbed her shoulder. "I have broken my shoulder six times from racing. Three times my bike fell on me. One time when my bike fell on me it landed straight on my shoulder and a piece of my shoulder bone had ripped itself out of my shoulder. They had to surgically put it back, it hurt like a bitch." Degas chuckled. "But it never stopped me. I still race whenever I am back in either Tokyo or America. It is my favorite thing in the whole world, that, and flying as high as I can in eagle form and then transforming in a human and free falling. The air rushing past, falling nearly a hundred miles per hour," Degas grinned. "And when that ground is a hundred feet away transforming in a hawk and pulling up just in the nick of time."

          Hermione was watching her with wide eyes. "You actually do that?"

          Degas nodded. "When you have nothing to live for… then why not do it? Especially when you are immortal?"

          Hermione laughed nervously. "That must really be something."

          Degas gasped and pulled out a slip of paper from her back pocket.     

          "What's that?"

          Degas shrugged. "When I was coming back I saw Uutte and Draco in front of the portrait. I transformed into a panther and chased them away. They dropped this, it is a list of passwords." She handed it to Hermione.

          "This looks like Angelina Johnson's handwriting. But why would she have to write it down? She has a great memory."

          Degas shrugged and took it back. "Who know, all I care is that the last password is the password to get it. They could have done a lot of damage if they got in." Degas stuck it in her back pocket and collected her items. 

          Hermione held the leather book in her hands. "What is this?"

          Degas looked at her. "That? That is my phone book."

          "Phone book?" Hermione was confused.

          "Yes, I write something in it and the others, Jak, Binx or Galileo will write back. We write to each other using this, we argue, discuss and just talk with it. Well, write actually, you see when we write it appears on everyone's book. So everyone who looks in the book can see what we talk about. It is very useful when I have questions about something and I don't know the answer."

          "If you have this then why do you have Galileo in the owlery?"

          "Because he asked me to take him to Hogwarts the next time I went."

          Hermione nodded. "Oh, okay." She chuckled and Degas laughed.

          "McGonagall!" Degas shouted down the hall early Monday. "Minerva!"

          Minerva turned and looked at Degas. "Degas, what's the matter?"

          Degas ripped out the slip of paper. "I caught Uutte and Draco with this yesterday, I put it in my pocket and forgot about it, but I remembered it this morning and I came here to ask about it. Hermione said it looked like Angelina Johnson's handwriting. Do you know what it is about?"

          Minerva took it and looked it over. She shook her head, "it is definitely Angelina's handwriting, but what the Slytherin's were doing with it is beyond me. I'll ask Professor-"

          Degas snatched it back. "Of course, I'll take it to Snape. You should get ready for class."  

          Minerva nodded. "You do that Degas."

          Degas turned.

          "Oh and Degas?"

          Degas looked back. "Yes?"

          "Try not to hurt Snape too much with a curse this time."

          Degas widened her eyes. "You know about that?"

          Minerva shrugged. "Better me then Dumbledore."

          "Shit." Degas muttered and ran off. She caught up with Severus before he walked into his classroom dungeon. 

          "Severus!" she called out. 

          He turned glaring at her.

          "Yikes!" she stopped dead. "What the hell is on your head?" she squinted in the morning light. "Oh, that's your face."

          "Is there something you wanted Oso?" Snape hissed. 

          Degas rolled her eyes and grinned. "_Crucio_." She said plainly and Snape fell to the ground writhing in pain. "You really need to start being more nice to me you know. Then I wouldn't have to be so mean to you. You know, you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours."

          Snape made a spitting sound and Degas withdrew the curse. Snape stood up glaring at Degas with the intent to kill.

          Degas merely smiled and held out the slip of paper. "Do you have any idea what this is about? I saw Uutte and Draco standing outside the Portrait to the Gryffindor Tower holding this slip. Do you know where they got it or what they intended to do once inside? And please don't bull shit me I am so not in the mood."

          Snape looked at the slip and shook his head. "I don't know anything."

          Degas looked at him in disbelief. She shrugged and began to walk away. "_Crucio_." She said and walked off. She turned the corner and withdrew the curse.

          Snape was cussing and she ran back to the tower. She was ready to turn the corner when she heard the voices again. She peered around the edge and saw Uutte and Draco talking to Neville. Uutte chuckled evilly and Draco passed Neville some money. Degas waited until the two Slytherins' were out of sight before she exploded around the corner as a giant white wolf. She tackled Neville to the ground teeth barred.

          "What did you tell them? What did you say Longbottom?" Degas growled.

          "I only told them that Harry and his crew would be at the quidditch field later this afternoon and that there would be no one around. Please don't eat me!"

          Professor Lupin ran around the corner. "Werewolf!" he yelped in shock. 

          Degas barked loudly and ran off. Lupin followed in hot pursuit. They reached the lakeside before Degas stopped and turned. Lupin stood in front of her and began to transform himself. Degas starred at him blankly, shocked that he could now transform himself into a werewolf at will. They both growled deeply at each other and ran into the forest. Lupin jumped on top of Degas but she reared up and threw him off and into a tree. She tried to flee but Lupin was set on settling this now. He bit her on the scruff of the neck and dragged her back toward him. She bit his front leg and he let go. She jumped up and jumped on his back and into a tree, once safely at the top she transformed into a human. 

          She climbed down into view of Lupin, when he saw her he quickly transformed into a human too and glared up at her. 

          "What the hell do you think you were doing Degas!" He shouted at her.

          Degas jumped down and looked at him. She turned around and headed back for the castle.

          He grabbed her arms and pulled her back to him. "No! You will not turn your back on me this time! You have been avoiding me ever since the year began! You purposely come into class nearly late everyday, you are the first to leave, you avoid me in the halls with your mock map, and I know you do. You are rarely at dinner or lunch or breakfast, and I know that you just love Hogwarts food! What is wrong with you? And now I catch you attacking Neville Longbottom? What has gotten into you Degas?"

          Degas was looking away. "I am here to protect Harry all right?"

          "What? That's Sirius's job."

          Degas ripped herself away from him. "You don't get it Remus! Sirius doesn't know that Harry is in danger! And even if he did what good is he against Lord Voldermort's daughter!"

          A huge black dog walked out of the forest and transformed into Sirius. Degas shook her head.

          "What?" Sirius asked. "What about Harry?"

          "What about Lord Voldermort?" Remus asked.

          Degas covered her face with her hands. "Shit. Shitty, shit, shit, shit."

THAT'S IT FOR NOW READER. I'LL GET CHAPTER FOUR UP IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. I AM DYING TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS AND I AM THE WRITER, I AM SUPPOSED TO KNOW AND I DON'T. IF YOU WANT TO BE IN THIS STORY OR ANY OTHER HARRY POTTER FAN FICS I MIGHT WRITE IN THE FUTURE EMAIL ME AND TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT TO LOOK LIKE, WHAT POSITION YOU WANT TO BE, GOOD GUY, BAD GUY… ECT. PLEASE REVIEW; I NEED TO KNOW IF I AM ANY GOOD.


	4. Deathday

I NO OWN HARRY POTTER BUT J. K. ROWLING DOES. I OWN DEGAS, BINX, JAK AND MY LITTLE SISTER (JESTER FRASER) OWNS UUTTE. THIS IS CHAPTER FOUR SO PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! IF YOU WANT TO BE IN MY STORIES EMAIL ME AND TELL ME WHO YOU WANT TO BE, WHAT YOU WANT TO LOOK LIKE Ect.

Plans and Research 

          Remus and Sirius starred at Degas for a long time.

          "I knew it was you who I saw running down the street that night in the town." Sirius said taking a seat on a large rock. "But I couldn't have known that you came back to protect my Harry."

          "I didn't come back to protect _your_ Harry. I came back to protect Lily's Harry."

          "We have to do something about Voldermort's daughter." Remus said. "If we don't then the whole world could collapse. You have to help us Degas-"

          "Why! Why should I help you! Have you ever helped me!" Degas shouted. "You turned your back on my years ago when I asked for your help about that muggle child I found in the dumpster, you turned your back on me when I asked you to help me gather some information on some people. You turned your back on me when-"

          "All right!" Remus waved his hands. "I get it!" Remus sat down next to Sirius.

          Sirius looked up helpless. "Please Degas, help me, and help Harry."

          "No shit Sirius." Degas growled. "That's what I am going to do."

          "But if Voldermort gets away?" Remus asked.

          "That is not my problem!" Degas shrieked at them. "Why should I care if Voldermort gets out? I will still live, no matter what the fucker does to this world and any other world I am still going to live!" She pointed at Remus. "Have you already forgotten that I am fucking immortal! I fucking cannot die!"

          Remus glared at her, Sirius looked as helpless.

          "So what are you going do Degas?" Remus asked.

          "Uutte isn't an idiot." Degas sighed. "If I even look at her the wrong way than she is going to know that I know what she is up to. I don't exactly have enough evidence to kill her and say that she was going to kill Harry." Degas glared at nothing. "I hate this world now a days. You need evidence to everything around here." She growled at herself. "I also don't know enough about her to know when she is going to try to get Harry."

          "This afternoon, didn't Neville…?"

          "That doesn't mean anything Remus, it could just be a decoy, ask around where Harry is going to be, do it for days but never do anything about it." Degas sighed and gripped her arms. "I want to kill her before Christmas, I am sure of that."

          "Why?" Sirius asked looking up at her.

          Degas looked down on him. "If she hasn't made a move on Harry before Christmas I am still going to kill her."

          Remus's eyes widened. "This is more then your promise to Lily isn't it Degas?" he stood up and pointed at her. "Uutte has done something to you that made you want to kill her before you even realized that she was going after Harry."

          Sirius looked at Degas surprised.

          Degas sighed and looked away. She pulled a white rose out of her pocket and dropped it on a patch of clovers. "Uutte… Uutte killed a- a friend of mine."

          "You wouldn't go this far would you?"

          Degas turned and looked at Remus sharply. "I loved my friend more then I loved anyone else. And she killed him, but like every fucking thing else I lack the evidence to prove it. I was hoping that if I got more evidence that she was going to kill or hurt Harry that would be enough to kill her."

          Sirius glared up at her. "So what does that mean?"

          "Are you trying to get her to kill him?"

          Sirius jumped to his feet. "If you are so help me god I will kill you myself Degas!"

          Degas laughed weakly. "You two are idiots." She shook her head. "I never even talked to Uutte. She killed my lover because he blew her off millions of times. She loved him, but he loved me, and he blew her off, and she didn't know about me. She killed him, the sort of 'If I can't have you no one can.' Sort of thing." Degas shrugged. "I just followed her the rest of time trying to find a folly in her plans so I could kill her before I got here. I was going to come here anyways. But since she took up a new hobby of avenging her father by killing Harry Potter, it just turned my vacation into fulfilling a promise I made."

          Sirius nodded and looked at Remus.

          "So," Remus said again. "What are you going to do?"

          Degas shook her head and walked away. Sirius turned into a black dog and left. Remus nodded and followed Degas back to school.

          Hermione talked quietly to Degas at lunch that day. She constantly looked over at Harry, who was starting to get annoyed by her quick glances.

          "What do you think they are talking about Ron?"

          Ron looked over at the girls and shrugged. "Maybe that girl likes you and she is trying to get information on you."

          "But why is Hermione talking to her?"

          "Girls," Ron sighed. "Why don't you go over there and ask?"

          Harry nodded, stood up and made his way to Degas. "I was wondering why you keep looking over at me." He was looking at Hermione. 

          Degas chuckled. 

          "And what are you two talking about that makes you keep looking at me."          Harry looked a little mad.

          "Harry," Degas sighed. "I was talking to Sirius earlier."

          Harry sat down. "You know Sirius?"

          Remus, who was passing by stopped and looked down at Degas.

          "Yeah I know him," she continued without acknowledging Remus. "We sort… grew up together," she smirked.

          "That's crazy, that would make you as old as them."

          Degas looked at Harry, her eyes had turned silver. "I am actually older then them, by many, many, many years." She smiled widely. "Isn't that right Remus Lupin?"

          Harry looked up finally noticing Lupin looking down at Degas. 

          "Maybe we should go somewhere private to talk about this."

          Degas sighed and looked over at Draco who was whispering something to Uutte. Uutte looked at Degas and glared.

          Lupin led them to his classroom and shut the door. Ron, as usual, followed Harry and the rest of them into the room when Lupin saw him he nodded at Ron, "Might as well let you know as well, there's going to be no hiding this once Degas is on the move."

          "On the move?" Harry asked. "What is this about exactly?"

          Lupin hit Degas in the back. "Did you really plan this out? Tell them like this with me here and all?"

          Degas sat on a desk. "Oh it gets better."

          "Oh no," Lupin sighed.

          "Open the closet door Remus. You'll find a rather interesting character in there."

          Lupin opened the door and a black dog jumped out and started barking at Degas.

          "Yeah, yeah, I am sure you are mad. After having Binx tackle you like that." Degas laughed. "Now, Remus," Degas nodded. "You can tell them."

          "Oh, me? Me tell them? It is your plan, it is your whole thing here."

          Sirius transformed into himself and he walked over to Degas. "Why the hell did you send that tiger after me!"

          "You get to see Harry here don't you?" Degas pointed to Harry and smiled.

          Harry smiled at Sirius and they hugged each other.

          "Now," Degas nodded. "Down to business." She looked at Remus who looked away a little more then annoyed. She nodded. "All right, I'll tell them." She looked at Harry and proceeded to tell him and Ron all about her being immortal, being a morph, what a morph was, how many times she had enrolled herself in Hogwarts, and finally she got around to telling him about the promise she made to Lily last time she was at Hogwarts. Degas told him about Uutte, her lover and her plan to kill Uutte and Uutte's plan to kill Harry to avenger her father's death.

          "So, you're immortal?" Ron asked a little dumbstruck.

          Degas nodded. "I am, and I am here to protect you Harry, I told your mother that I would protect you in places where Sirius could not. And Uutte, being Voldermort's daughter and all, is the sort of thing I was promised too."

          Sirius nodded at Harry and looked at Degas again. "Is there any way I could help you Degas?"

          "Yes, actually there is."

          "Tell me."

          "I need you to go to Dumbledore and ask him if you can check out Harry for one week. Tell him that it is my wish that Harry, Ron and Hermione get checked out for one week. If you can get all three of them then that will be great, if not, then, well, they all have to be checked out, they cannot go to school for one week."

          "Why?" Hermione asked. "All the homework, the lectures and notes that we will miss."

          "Ask Dumbledore to gather all of their homework for one week and give it to them but tell him not to inform the staff of their being checked out for one week. We want in no way for anyone of the students to know that they are being checked out. Can you go to him now and ask this of him. If he has any questions or doubts of me ask him to come to me and I'll explain everything that I can to him."

          Sirius nodded and transformed.

          "What are we suppose to do for a week?" Harry asked. "I'll miss quidditch practice."

          Degas looked at Harry. "I am sure that your team would like you better alive then dead right?"

          Harry shut his mouth and looked the other way.

          "Yeah." She looked over at Lupin who was watching her. "I need you to teach them know to transform."

          "WHAT!?" Lupin's eyes bulged. "YOU WANT ME TO TEACH THEM WHAT!"

          "Calm down Lupin, they have to be able to transform in creatures, whether you make them animagi or I give them some of my blood and make them morphs… they need to be able to transform and defend themselves because I know either Voldermort or Uutte will come after them." She turned to Hermione then back to Lupin. "Oh yeah, no one is to know that they can transform."

          "Degas! This is crazy!"

          "Hermione," Degas looked at her. "I need you to look up all the greatest hiding spots around Hogwarts and London and even maybe America. You can get all around the world in one week."

          Hermione nodded and started looking through Lupin's mini library in the back of the classroom.

          "Ron," she turned to the confused boy. "I need you to talk to your brothers and get as many jags and that stuff as you can. And can you get me some of their Ton-Tongue Toffee?"

          Ron nodded, turned and left quickly.

          "Degas this is still crazy."

          "Remus!" she turned around staring at him with silver eyes that burned with annoyance. "Just do it! Unless you want to see them dead!"

          Lupin frowned and shook his head.

          "Good." She said soothingly. "Which will it be? Morph or Animagi?"

          Lupin thought for a moment. "Morph, that way they won't have to be registered with the Ministry if they are morphs."

          "All right. Then I will give my blood to them, but they have to understand some simple rules."

          Lupin nodded.

          "What about me?" Harry asked.

          "You," she looked at him. "I need you to write a letter."


	5. Sometimes it hurts

Okay, you know the disclaimer.

Some times it hurts 

          " 'Dear Uutte,

                   I will never regret what happened to your father, the lowlife, and selfish little git. He got what was coming to him, a humiliating downfall from a baby child that was me. The idiot was stupid enough to go after me when my mother loved me so much. Is that why you transferred here to Hogwarts? Because your mother thought you were too ugly and too revolting to be anywhere near her? That's probably it isn't it? Am I right? Of course I am. Uutte, you are a disgrace to all the dark wizards out there, you and your father because you cannot lay a hand me and you know that! I am so safe from you, you father had how many chances to kill me and every time he was stupid enough to fail. Are you like that too? Like father like daughter. Good luck you nasty little whore.

                                                          H. P.'

          "Not bad Harry Potter. All we need is a good enough reason to send-"

          Ron ran into the room. "I saw her and Malfoy talking about when they were going to attack Harry!"

          Degas looked at him. "Are you sure?"

          "I am. I was under the invisibility cloak so teachers wouldn't stop me and I nearly ran into them outside the potions classroom. Snape was standing next to them, he was talking to them but he wasn't stopping them from talking about it! I think he is in on it! But I know that they couldn't see me! And they were talking about when they should attack Harry! I heard it as clear as my mother!"

          Degas pulled off her cloak; she was wearing the same thing that she wore when she first arrived at Hogwarts. She pulled on her gloves and ran a hand through her hair. "All right, we might have to step this up a notch. Remus!"

          "Yes?"

          "Are you ready to teach them? We have nearly everything, the hiding places and the gags. Sirius, you talked to Dumbledore?"

          Sirius nodded. "I did and he agreed for me to take them. I take them in the middle of the night on Friday so no one suspects anything out of the ordinary, at least not until Monday."

          Degas nodded. "Ready Lupin?"

          "I am."

          "Okay, you three gather round. There are some ground rules you have to hear before I give any of you my blood. First off is that you will not be full blooded morphs which means you will be limited to how many animals you can transform into. Four to be exact. One will be your identity form, I already told you what that is. The other three will be whatever you think will help you in this battle and in life. Next, with not being full blooded you will not have the power to do to others what I am about to do to you and third: you have to find a large leather bound, ancient looking, and you have to bring this to me as soon as you get it so I can jinx it. You will need this book to keep in touch with the boys and I and yourselves. You will be able to write in this book and everyone else who has a book like it will be able to read it. There are ways you can send secret messages you have to draw a circle write at the top who the message is for and write your message. But you are only allowed twenty secret messages a year. We will be brothers and sisters and we are not supposed to be writing secret messages to each other. So with these rules are you ready to take the blood that will bind you forever to Jak, Binx, Galileo and me?"

          The three looked amongst themselves and looked back at Degas. They all nodded and she smiled. 

          "Good." She took Harry into her arms. "Have you ever read a vampire book? Anne Rice was the told the truth of how vampires really work. Those vampires are amazing. This will hurt for a second. But don't worry, you'll feel better when I give your blood back to you." with that Degas opened her mouth a little wider, her fangs had extended and slowly punctured into Harry's jugular vein. Harry struggled for a long moment. Sirius looked like he was ready to attack Degas but he held himself back. 

          Degas was gulping down Harry's blood in large gulps. The blood was hot in her mouth but hotter as it traveled down her throat. She stopped and looked at Harry. He had passed into a light sleep. She watched him for a long time, letting the blood of Harry mix with her blood. A minute later she kissed his lips, forcing them apart and feeding him his own blood back into him. When she was done she mutter a chant in a foreign language and placed him on a table. She sat down for a moment to regain her strength. She closed her eyes and feel into a small slumber.

          A snowy owl flew in and transformed into Galileo. He looked around and shook his head. "You did not consult us in this matter Degas."

          Degas woke up and nodded. "I know, but I had to do this Galileo. You know I did."

          "The others, have you told the others?" Galileo looked at Harry who was just now waking up. "They are on their way."

          Degas helped Harry to his feet. "I know that Galileo, but I had to do it for this boys sake of life."

          "And the other two? Do not say that you had no intention to make them like us, I know you do."

          Degas opened her arms and Ron went to her. She wrapped her arms around him to prevent struggle that would hurt him. "Galileo, I made a promise to Lily and these two young souls are Harry's best friend and maybe his best chance to live."

          "But you couldn't possibly know that. You are not a…" he stopped. The look in Degas's eyes scared him. "My God… you are. Why didn't you ever tell us?"

          "I knew I should've told you, but," she let go of Ron. "I was so afraid that you and the others would leave. After you left anyway I felt that there as no use in telling any of you. We barely saw one another. My life was fading away so quickly; it was like I was sinking deeper into a void."

          "When did this happen?"

She looked at her heavily scarred wrist. "Why I slit my wrists, locked the iron chain and ball around my ankles and threw myself off the cliff and into the ocean. I had hit the bottom; I could feel nearly all the blood had left me when I fell into a trance-like state. In this state I saw the killers silhouette. He said 

" 'You think I would make it that easy for you? You cannot die Oso, I made sure of that. But since you try harder then the guys I'll only make things worse for you.'

"When I awoke I was on dry land, my wrists were scarred but nothing else happened. I walked around for days and days and then discovered that I had the power. I could see the future, but only in fragments. And it wasn't the far future, it was only little things you know?"

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"You three already seemed a little pissed that I had tried to kill myself and it had only been a few years. Then you guys left, and what was the point?" she turned to Ron. "Are you ready?"

"Will I get that power too?"

"No," Galileo said. "No one gets that power anymore. It is a curse that only that person has. Transferring blood does not allow you to have that curse."

Ron walked steadily into her embrace and she repeated the transfer. 

Ron woke up minutes later a little more then groggy. He walked next to Harry and Lupin and watched as Degas opened her arms to Hermione. The last three guys few in as owls and transformed. 

Galileo stopped them and shook his head.

Degas wrapped her arms around Hermione who was tense. "Are you afraid?" Degas asked softly in Hermione's ear.

Hermione shook her head. "I am only afraid to tell you something." She whispered back.

"And what is that?"

Hermione quivered. "Maybe it is a petty little thing, but I think I love you."

Galileo, who had over heard this, nearly choked and coughed and left the room.

Degas watched him and looked back at Hermione. "Do you really?"

"I think so."

"Well, you hang on to that thought and when this is all over, you tell me what you think then. Is that all right?"

Hermione nodded.

"All right then." Degas barred her fangs and began the process. She let the blood mix and before she gave it back she looked at Hermione closely. "A gift," she whispered so only Hermione could hear it in her half sleep. "Be safe in this battle." Degas genteelly kissed Hermione, surprisingly Hermione kissed back. Degas smiled and gave Hermione her blood back. She set her on the desk and left the room. 

"It's up to you Lupin." Binx nodded as the rest of the original Morphs left to follow Degas.

         Degas walked down to the lake and sat down. "Accio shoulder bag." The leather shoulder bag with her belongings flew into her hands. She dug around in it and removed a CD player that had been enchanted so it could run without batteries and in any location of the world. She inserted a CD and put the earphones in. the guys hung back and argued amongst themselves for a long time. 

          Near sunset Remus, Sirius and the new morphs walked out to the lake. Hermione looked over at Degas who was nodded her head with the music. She stopped with the others and was now talking the guys.

          "Okay, we have agreed that we will acknowledge you as brothers and sister." Jak said. 

          "Yes, Degas failed to consult with us about making you three morphs and that was just wrong. But, after discussing everything with Galileo and ourselves we have decided that it will be in the best interest of you three if we were there if ever you needed help." Binx smiled.

          "And to prove our loyalty to our new siblings we grant you the ability to transform into any animal as we can." Galileo said joyfully. 

          "But, for strictly one year you can only transform into four animals. Sorry, but that is the way it has to work out." Jak shrugged and frowned. He looked over at Degas and sighed. "Oh no, you guys she's listening to that song again."

          The other two looked over at her and moaned. "Maybe we should get rid of that CD." Galileo sighed. "She is still hurting from everything."

          "She really should stop dwelling on the past." Binx growled. "It is done, it is over."

          "Not when you are immortal." Galileo sighed. "I know the pain she is feeling for a lost love."

          "But we have all lost lovers. They all eventually die."

          "But none of ours were murdered." Galileo said and the other nodded.

          "What song is she listening too?" Hermione asked_. She looks so sad._ Hermione thought. _I wish I could hold her, but I am so younger then her, how could I help her?_

          _You could help her Hermione. Degas is a lost soul any love would help her. The fact that you told her that you might love her made her happy, but it also made her remember everything that she has lost. And that is why she listens to the song._

          Hermione looked at Galileo and he nodded at her.

          "The song is called 'Sometimes it Hurts' it is my a muggle group called Stabbing Westward. The lyrics are quite sad." Galileo handed then a scroll. They opened it and read the lyrics.

Six o'clock in the morning   
My head is ready to explode   
I can't believe I made it home alive   
I don't remember where I went   
Or what I was drinking   
And now it's made me sick   
And I'm not denying   
That I get this way   
When I try to get over you   
I get this way   
When I try to get over you   
Sometimes it hurts   
So much to lose the one you love   
Sometimes it hurts   
So much to lose the one you love   
  
I tried so hard to hate you   
But it only makes things worse   
I only end up hating myself   
And as my hatred grows   
So do the lies   
It's hard to face the truth sometimes   
God I feel so useless   
God I hate myself   
When I try to get over you   
I hate myself   
Will I ever get over you   
  
Sometimes it hurts   
So much to lose the one you love   
Sometimes it hurts   
So much to lose the one you love   
  
And after all this time you'd think I'd understand the way you feel   
But no   
I only think about myself   
And it's driving you away   
I always knew it would one day   
  
Sometimes it hurts   
So much to lose the one you love   
Sometimes it hurts   
So much to lose the one you love   
Sometimes it hurts   
So much to lose the one you love   
Sometimes it hurts   
So much to lose the one you love

          Hermione looked out at Degas who was mouthing the words. She frowned and turned away.

          Jak turned his back on Degas. "So Lupin, how much have to taught them?"

          Lupin looked up at them. "How to control the transforming. It might take a little while before they get the entire swing of things."

          Binx looked at the three students. "What are your identities?"

          "I am a silver stag." Harry said.

          Sirius smiled. "Just like his father."

          Ron grinned widely. "I'm a fox."

          "That's cool." Binx grinned. "A fox."

          They looked at Hermione but she was watching Degas.

          "Hermione? What are you?" Jak asked.

          "Oh," she looked back at them. "I am a cheetah. But instead of being yellow with black spots I am black with white thing white stripes."

          Galileo, Jak and Binx starred at each other and pulled away and started to mummers amongst themselves again. They finally pulled apart from each other and walked over to Degas. They pulled her to her feet and talked to her. Her eyes widened as they told her what Hermione's identity was. Degas looked over at Hermione and nodded and walked toward her.

          "Are you a black and white cheetah?" Degas asked.

          Hermione nodded. "I am."

          The older Morphs erupted into argument in a foreign tongue again Degas joined them this time. They constantly looked at Hermione and the others and shook their heads.

          "No!" Degas shouted finally after five minutes of arguing with the others. "I will not accept that!"  
          "But it is the truth Degas," Galileo shouted. "AND YOU DAMN WELL KNOW THAT!"

          Degas shook her head, waved her hands in front of her and walked over to Hermione. She grabbed her hand and pulled her away. "Come here." Degas pulled her behind some trees.

          "What's happening?" Lupin asked.

          Binx turned to him. "There is this prophecy in the Morph tribe, this person, well, this person is said to be the destruction of the earth. Mortal and immortals alike are venerable to this person, they'll kill the killable and torture the immortals for all time."

          "What does this have to do with Hermione?" Sirius asked.

          Jak frowned. "We think that she might be it."

          "Turn around Hermione," Degas said. "Pull your robe off and lift your shirt."

          "What is this about Degas?"

          "Just do it, quickly."

          Hermione nodded and did as she as told. 

          "Shit." Degas muttered.

          "What?"

          Degas touched Hermione's back with her cold hands, Hermione gasped. Degas traced a mark on Hermione's back and sighed. "Shit, why wasn't I smart enough to check you three before I made you?" Degas fell back against a tree.

          "What is it?" Hermione pulled her shirt down and her robe back on. "Is there something wrong with me?"

          Degas got up and walked back to the others. "She has the mark, cross with a crescent moon in the middle."

          "Yeah, I was born with that." Hermione said.

          Galileo looked at Degas and pulled her aside. "You know what it says. That if the person has a true love then they can be a good person that they will not be the destructive being that the prophecy said. She said that she thinks she loves you, what about you?"

          Degas looked at Hermione. "I have feelings for her, I want to protect her. If that is how you define love, then yes, I love her."

          Galileo nodded. "We have to inform Binx and Jak."

          "Do it, but do not tell our younger siblings." 

          Galileo nodded and called Binx and Jak over. Degas looked at Hermione and smiled.

          "Everything will be fine," Jak announced cheerfully. 

          Degas looked over at Hermione and smiled. 

          "We have to teach these kids how to transform without getting stuck in the middle and how to talk to each other with their new powers." Galileo said.

          "Stuck?" Ron asked.

          "Powers?" Harry smiled.

          "ESP, you can talk to us with the power of your mind. Binx will teach you that, he's a great teacher and Jak will teach you to transform smoothly."

          "And you?" Hermione asked looking at Galileo now.

          "I'm going to supervise."

          "And Degas?" Harry asked.

          Degas stretched and yawned. "I am going to talk to Lupin and Sirius."

          Hermione frowned but smiled when Degas winked at her.

          _I need to talk to you as soon as possible after everyone goes to sleep tonight all right?_

          Hermione nodded and watched Jak.

          "Sirius, are you and Remus still in love?"

          The two looked at each other. "Is it that obvious?"

          "Sort of." Degas shrugged. "Look, Hermione is the person that we fear from the prophecy but there is something that can stop it."

          "What's that?" Remus asked.

          "True love." Degas answered.

          "But she isn't dating anyone at Hogwarts." Remus shook his head.

          "I know," Degas said. "Before I began the transfer she told me that she might love me, and I have to admit that I might love her back, but I didn't tell her that. Do you think it would be bad if I did love her? I mean, I over a century old."

          Sirius smiled. "Love known no age."

          Remus nodded. "Who all knows about this?"

          "Out of this group everyone except Harry and Ron. And they can't know. I don't want to subject Hermione to humiliation at school. I'll tell her that I love her after this over."

          Sirius nodded and Degas walked off. She watched the younger ones get the transforming down smoothly and learn to transform into three other animals. Harry chose a hawk, a wolf and a mouse. Ron picked a small breed of dragon, a mouse and a bear. Hermione chose a mouse, a panther- at which the older people all looked at Degas- and a Pegasus. 

          It was nearly two in the morning when Hermione walked into Degas's room.

          "You wanted to talk to me?"

          Degas was lying on her bed looking at the ceiling, which she had enchanted to look like the nighttime sky. Degas looked over at her, a fake moon illuminated her face. "Come here."

          Hermione stood beside the bed.

          "You can sit or lie down if you want too." 

          Hermione sat next to Degas and looked at her. "Yes?"

          "Why did you say you think you love me?"

          "Why did you kiss me?"

          Degas smiled. "I don't know how people define love, I've only loved a few people over the past century. But I feel connected to you, I want to protect you from everything and I never want to see you in pain. If that is how you define love, then," Degas looked back at the stars. "Then I love you."

          Hermione lay next to her and placed her head on Degas's shoulder. "I love you too."

          "Isn't that so sweet." An eerie voice echoed through the room. Degas jumped up and looked around.

          "Didn't you learn your lesson when I killed Terry?" Uutte appeared at the door wielding a dagger. She shook her head and threw it at Hermione. 


	6. People like you who screw up this world

YOU KNOW THE DISCLAIMER READ AND REVIEW! THE SONG IN THIS ONE AND THE CHAPTER BEFORE IT BELONGS TO STABBING WESTWARD ALBUM DARKEST DAYS. IF YOU LIKE PROFESSOR SNAPE AND/OR DRACO AND IF YOU'VE COME TO LOVE UUTTE I ADVISE YOU DO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER, BUT YOU SORT OF HAVE TO. ^_^' HA HA

IT'S PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO SCREW UP THIS WORLD!! 

          Degas was quick to pulled Hermione back, but the dagger was enchanted and it wasn't going to be satisfied until it punctured something. It swiveled around and caught Degas at the base of her neck where it met the shoulder. Degas smiled and pulled it out and tapped it with her wand unjinxing it.

          "You know," Degas almost laughed. "Its people like you WHO SCREW UP THIS WORLD!" she glared at Uutte and with all her rage she threw the dagger back and it was quick to force itself up to the hilt in Uutte's left upper arm. 

          "Bitch!" Uutte scream and ran off.

          "Oh my god, are you all right?" Hermione asked.

          Degas chuckled and grabbed her wound with her hand and looked at the blood. "It's funny, but I don't think I have bled in about two or three years." She looked at Hermione who was scared stiff. "Shh, don't worry, the wound will heal in a matter of minutes, all that will be left is a nasty scar."

          Hermione began to cry. "I was so scared."

          Degas gasped lightly and wrapped her arms around Hermione and cooed her. "It's all right, everything is going to be all right."

          "When I saw that dagger coming it was like in slow motion, I was happy when you pulled me out o the way, when it got you… you looked terrible. Full of pain and it looked like it really hurt you."

          Degas pulled Hermione onto the bed and on top of her. Degas slowly stroked Hermione's hair and cooed her. Degas kissed Hermione's forehead and Hermione looked up.

          "Are you okay? I mean does it hurt?"

          Degas smiled. "No, it doesn't hurt." Degas leaned closer and genteelly brushed her lips against Hermione's and they kissed.

          The rest of the week was painfully slow. Degas jinxed the letter to Uutte so once she opened it, it would destroy itself within two minutes, that way she could not show it to other people and use it against Harry. She smiled at the letter and sent it off with Galileo.

          Friday after school was out Degas made her way down to the lake and sat down. She pulled out her book and looked around. The three younger morphs came to her with their ancient looking books. 

          Degas took the book and worked on enchanting them to connect with each other and with the other books. Degas handed them their books back and opened her own book.

          _Testing… testing… reply to test._ Degas looked up Harry, Hermione and Ron who were smiling at their books and write replies.       __

_          Works_

_          Works_

_          Works_

Degas smiled as the writing appeared in her book. Then more writings appeared.

          _Hey sibs! _Binx wrote. _Degas I see you got the books working. We'll all be over tonight, keep the common room empty, or no, Degas, we'll get Sirius and call Lupin and we'll pick them up and we'll all meet in your room tonight to talk. How does that sound?_

Degas looked up at Hermione.

          "You didn't tell anyone?" Hermione mouthed.

          Degas shook her head. And wrote:

          _Bad idea, get the animagis and take them to the other side of the forest, the sibs and I will meet you there precisely at one tonight._ Degas looked at the three. "Is that okay with you?"

          They nodded and smiled. Reading their books.

          _Why? What happened? _Jak wrote. _What happened that we couldn't meet in your room?_

_          I'll explain everything out tonight when we meet by the skeleton trees._

_          Right. _Jak wrote. _I'm out._

_          Me too._ Binx wrote. _See you tonight._

They all closed their books and looked around. 

          "Thank you Degas." Ron said.

          "So what happened that we couldn't meet in your room?" Harry asked.

          Degas chuckled. "Always curious," she looked at him. "Like your father."

          Harry smiled.

          "That night when you guys got my blood I called to Hermione and we were talking, then Uutte appeared and threw a dagger at her, I pulled Hermione out of the way but it was enchanted and it got me in the shoulder. It hurt like a bitch, I don't know how Uutte got in there but she wasn't using the invisibility cloak, she ran out through the porthole when I threw the dagger back at her and it wedged itself in there. If she could get in there without anyone knowing it then she must have the password and if she does then it isn't safe to be in there while we are talking about things like this."

          The others nodded.

          "Now I would advise that you three get everything that you'll be needing for the next week. Albus should have already gotten all your homework and had it placed on your beds. Depending on how this all pans out you might be able to come back to school earlier then expected."

          Ron and Harry ran back to the castle to get their stuff. Hermione stayed back and sat next to Degas.

          "You really should get packing." Degas said.

          "It can wait." Hermione shrugged. "About that night."

          Degas looked over at Hermione.

          "That kiss."

          Degas looked down at her wrists. "Yeah, about that, look, I am from America, it's an everyday kind of thing there."

          "But you said that you love me." Hermione leaned away. "Was it a lie?"

          Degas lay back on the grass and traced her new scar, it did hurt, and it still hurt like hell. Degas sighed. "No, it wasn't a lie Hermione, but you have to understand that it has been a while since I have loved anyone and if I am correct then you have never been with another woman before."

          Hermione blushed. "But, I know that I do love you Degas."

          "And I wouldn't want it any other way, and I am not trying to not make you love me but you do realize that I am over a century old and immortal."

          Hermione lay next her next her to, raised her hand and began to stroke Degas's neck. "So many scars," Hermione carefully stroked the newest scar and began to tear. "Love transcends everything Degas." She began to cry.

          Degas wrapped her arms around Hermione and stroked her hair. "Shh… I know, I know." She said softly and pulled them into a sitting position. "I just want to know why."

          Hermione clamed herself and looked up at Degas. "Because even though I didn't know you, and still don't, made me feel special. Just being around you, seeing you and hearing you speak made me all so happy. Even though I was mean to you, and I apologize for that, you stood up to me, you seemed to fear nothing."

          Degas shrugged. "Well when you're immortal what is there to fear?"

          Hermione quivered. "That scares me, being immortal. I know I really can't love you, you'll never age, and you'll never grow old. Even if we spent our whole life together,"- Degas widened her eyes, was Hermione that serious about Degas? She's only known her for a few weeks. Surely this is a petty crush or something. –"You would only watch me grow old and die and you would always go on."

          "Oh, Hermione-"

          "And, well, I know deep down, that you would never really stay with me all those years, that you would probably grow bored with me and I don't want to be selfish but-"

          Degas turned Hermione's head so they were looking right at each other and Degas kissed Hermione. Degas massaged Hermione's lips until they slowly opened and Degas slid her tongue into Hermione's mouth. 

          Hermione pulled away slowly showing that she was a little apprehensive about everything but not at all mad or disgusted.

          Degas smiled at her. "You've never kissed anyone before have you?"

          Hermione touched her lips. "Not like that."

          Degas suppressed her laughter. "Was it a shock? Did you not like it?"

          Hermione shook her head. "No, I loved it." she smiled and wrapped her arms around Degas's neck and they kissed again.

          _Hey, Binx, Galileo and Degas! I was listening to Degas's music, you know Stabbing Westward and I heard a song that perfectly matches to our lives. Well, maybe not perfectly but well, here just read this!!!_

I know your life is empty   
And you hate to face this world alone   
So you're searching for an angel   
Someone who can make you whole   
I can not save you   
I can't even save myself   
So just save yourself   
  
I know that you've been damaged   
Your soul has suffered such abuse   
But I am not your savior   
I am just as fucked as you   
I am just as fucked as you   
I can not save you   
I can't even save myself   
So just save yourself   
  
Please don't take pity on me   
Please don't take pity on me   
Please don't take pity on me   
Please don't take pity on me   
  
My life has been a nightmare   
My soul is fractured to the bone   
And if I must be lonely, I think I'd rather be alone   
I think I'd rather be alone   
  
You can not save me   
You can't even save yourself   
I can not save you   
I can't even save myself   
Save yourself   
So just save yourself

          _So what do you think? Eh? Eh? Isn't it so cool? Okay, Jak out._

          Hermione read the lyrics and began to cry softly.

          Degas read it and quickly wrote to Hermione a private message:

          _Hermione, DON'T LISTEN TO JAK! I AM NOT AT ALL COMPLYING WITH THOSE LYRICS! Not anymore anyways. You said to me that you thought I would never stay with you, well, that deep down fear of me not wanting to stay with you is wrong. Hermione I love you and I want to be with you forever. And we all know, Forever is a very long time. I love you Hermione, I want to protect you, and I want to be with you when you need me. So please don't cry over these lyrics, I love you._

_                                                          Love Degas_

          Hermione read the private note and kissed it. _OK_, Hermione wrote in the book. Degas looked at it and sighed. Degas was walked down the hall under the invisibility cloak trying to get closer to Snape. She ran around the corner and nearly collided with him. He was talking to Uutte and Draco.

          "Dumbledore was going around gathering homework for next week for three students who would be out for one week. Three students, who could that be?" Snape said smugly.

          "Harry Potter? That Weasley fellow and that mudblood?" Draco smiled.

          "So what are you suggesting Snape?" Uutte asked.

          "That you kill him tonight. When no one is suspecting." Snape chuckled and walked away. 

          Uutte turned to Draco and smiled. "So are you up for it?"

          "Yeah, I want to kill Granger myself, you know, rough her up a bit."

          "You want to fuck her?"

          "Pound her so hard then when I come I'll choke her." Draco was smiling evilly.

          Degas had her hand over her mouth to stop from gagging.

          Uutte laughed evilly and they walked off. "You can do that. I get Degas and Harry."

          "I got Weasley then."

          They laughed and turned the corner. Degas ripped off the cloak and ran to the tower. 

          "Sprite!" she shouted at Viola, the Fat Lady, and skidded to a stop in the common room. She looked around and saw Ron and Harry writing to Binx. She sat at the table with them and started to scribble down everything that she had just heard from Uutte, Draco and Snape. The older morphs insisted on coming over right away and the younger, Hermione had joined in, were a little more then worried. Degas didn't tell anyone about what she heard Draco say about wanting to do to Hermione. Degas got up and smiled.

          "Where is Hermione?" she asked.

          "Library last time I saw." Ron said. 

          Degas looked a little worried and ran off to the library. She slid in front of the doors of the library and walked inside. Uutte and Draco where spying on Hermione.

          "Psst! Hermione," Degas whispered. 

          Hermione looked up and smiled. 

          Degas was waving her hands for Hermione to get over to her. "Come here."

          Hermione nodded, gather her belongings and jogged over to Degas and they left the library and started to walk back to the Gryffindor tower.

          "What is it?" Hermione asked when Degas kept looking behind them.

          "Hermione when I heard Snape talking with the others there was something Draco said when Snape left. I didn't mention it because I didn't think that it was proper for the others to hear this."

          "What?"

          Degas stopped and looked at Hermione and told her what Draco said. Hermione gasped and clung to Degas. Degas pulled the invisibility cloak around then and sat by a statue. Hermione fell into a small slumber there in Degas's arms; Degas closed her eyes but listened to everything around her.

          When Hermione woke up a bunch of students were passing by to go to dinner. She looked up and saw Degas was still asleep. She nudged her and kissed her cheek quietly. Degas opened her eyes quickly and looked around. She looked panicked, the look scared Hermione. But then Degas looked down and smiled, she leaned down and kissed Hermione fully.

          When all the students had passed they got up, removed the cloak and walked into the common room where Ron and Harry were sleeping on the couch. Degas looked around and smiled evilly. 

          "Transform into a panther and I'll change into a tiger and let's scare them."

          Hermione nodded and they transformed. They got ready to pounce right in front of the two sleeping boys and then they roared loudly and sprang on top of them they screamed and tried to jump up but were pinned under the animal's weight. Just then the porthole opened and another set of Harry and Ron walked in. Degas and Hermione starred at them, this pair that walked in were holding the ancient looking leather books.

          _This?_ Hermione asked. _Who is this?_

Degas seemed to shrug and she turned to the Harry she was sitting on and barred her teeth.

          "Oy, get some breath mints." The Harry imposter said and transformed into Binx. The Ron imposter transformed into Galileo.

          "Get off." Galileo said. "You're crushing me."

          Hermione jumped off and transformed back into herself. Degas stayed as she was as she barred down on Binx. 

          "What is up with you Degas?"

          _You're not supposed to be here right yet._ She said in her mind knowing that all of them could hear her with their new ESP power.

          "Chill, we talked to Jak and he said that he would get the other two. He told us that we should get over here and help get Harry and Ron and Hermione out of here earlier due to what you heard."

          Degas jumped down but did not transform back. _Did you contact Dumbledore, Black and Lupin about this?_

          Binx nodded. "We contacted Dumbledore who contacted Lupin who told Sirius. All three of them agree that we should get them out of here right now and meet in at the trees now. So we are here to do just that."

          _Great, how will we get down there now? And once we get down there then what?_

_          I THOUGHT YOU WERE THE ONE WITH THE PLAN!_ Galileo shouted in his mind instead of out loud.

          Degas cringed. She seemed to shrug again. _I never said I did._

          "Just great." Binx sighed. "Well, lets at least get down to the meeting point and get these kids to safety."

          _I know what I am going to do; I just don't know what you guys are going to do._

"I want to help you fight!" Harry said quickly.

          Everyone starred at him. 

          "Help fight? Harry, are you crazy? Uutte wants you dead. If you die then she's won. And she cannot win." Galileo said as calmly as possible.

          _You really want to help me fight? But why?_

          "It's her father that killed my father, it seems fitting."

          The tiger laughed and transformed into a human. Degas wiped her mouth. "We'll talk to Sirius, though I am sure he'll say…"

          "ABSOLUTELY NOT! THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL I'LL LET YOU GO FIGHT UUTTE WITH HER! NO! NO! NO! AND NO!" Sirius shouted at the request. 

          Degas was laughing her ass off, Sirius had turned as red as a beet. Remus held Sirius back trying his best to calm him.

          "No!" Sirius said but Remus was pushing him behind a patch of bushes to talk to him.

          Harry sat next to Degas who was lying on the ground now. She looked up at Harry and smiled. "I wouldn't let you come anyway. Her father might have killed your father, but she killed my lover, and tried to kill my next lover." She shot a side-glance at Hermione who was starring at her amazed.

          Harry didn't catch this. He was watching the ground. "I just want to so much go out and have another adventure."

          Jak looked at Harry and smiled. "Tell you what, once this whole thing passes over I'll take you out and teach you how to transform really quickly that way we can go out, fly as high as we can, transform into humans and freefall, the ground gets closer very fast then you transform back into a bird and pull up just in time. It is such an adrenaline rush!"

          Jak, Binx and Galileo looked at each other, transformed into hawks and flew off. Ron watched them with an open mouth. Moment's later three hawks dove in front of them, their bellies nearly hitting the ground. They flew back up, transformed into humans and landed. 

          "WOOOO!" Binx shouted.

          "Let's do that again!" Galileo roared.

          Sirius and Remus walked back to them and looked at Harry. "I will not let you go, I love you, you are my godson and I just don't want to loose you like I lost your father and mother."

          Degas looked up at Sirius quickly and stood up. "Well, whenever you guys go, keep me posted." She transformed into a hawk and darted off.

          "Degas!" they called but she was already gone.

          Jak, Binx and Galileo looked at each other. 

          "Well," Galileo sighed. "She can't do this alone."

          Binx hit Jak in the chest. "I got it! Why don't we just transform into these three and act like them so Uutte and Draco don't suspect anything."

          "But Snape said to kill them tonight."

          "So we stay close to one of the professor. Hey, Lupin, where are you going to go?"

          "Back to the school, I have to." He turned to Sirius. "Though I wish I could stay with you." he kissed Sirius on the cheek.

          "HA!" Galileo shouted. "I knew it! I just knew! They did get together! That's fifty Galleons!" he said to Jak and Binx. The other two moaned and gave up the money. 

          "We've been together ever since I found him in the Shrieking Shack." Remus said.

          "Yeah," Galileo nodded. "But we haven't seen each other a lot. How was _I_ to know?"

          Everyone laughed as Galileo placed the money in a small bag and tied it to his belt. 

          "Anyway, if Lupin is going back then we become the students and stay close to him or Dumbledore and we aid Degas whenever she really needs it." Binx said. The others nodded and smiled.

          "Hey, that's not a bad idea." Jak said and placed his hands on Harry's shoulders as Galileo placed his hands on Ron's shoulders. 

          "Oh, that's cold." Binx growled. "Make me be the girl."

          Hermione glared at him.

          "Not that being a girl is bad, I mean, I like girls, yeah, I like them that I have sex with them right? Not that I'm going o have sex with you… uh…" 

          Jak was hiding his face in his hands. "Maybe you should quit while you're a little ahead."

          Binx placed his hands on her shoulders and closed his eyes. "Yeah, sorry Hermione." He whispered. "I totally know that you are Degas's girl."

          Hermione chuckled.

          The three older morphs concentrated and absorbed the form and identities of their younger siblings. They morphed into them and stood staring at one another.

          "How did you do that?" Harry asked.

          "Well, you see, we can transform into you at anytime, but we need to absorb your identities in order to be you. As a morph you can take on the form of another human being with out the polyjuice potion. But you have to be touching them and they have to be willing to give you their identity. Then you can be them as long as you want." Jak said, sounding exactly like Harry.

          "The thing is," Binx said, looking and sounding exactly as Hermione. "You transform back into yourself at the start of the new moon. Then you have to transform back into them but this time you don't need to absorb them. Of course, since we are the last of the morph race we decided that it should be illegal unless it is for a very good reason."

          Galileo nodded. "And this has to be the best reason."

          They smiled, transformed into birds and took to the sky.

          "Good luck!" Sirius called out.

          Jak was a giant eagle and he took Remus to his back and flew off again.

          The rest of that day Degas walked around aimlessly. When the others appeared and transformed she didn't seem to notice. When night fully fell she sat in the common room with the others. She was out of her robes and back in her fighting clothes. Baggy black jeans tucked into her combat boots, which now had spikes inserted in the toe, a skin tight, black tang top, and her black gloves. She sat in the shadows and starred into space. The three imposters where sitting on the couch in front of the fire laughing about Snape.

          When the porthole opened Degas slid further back into the darkness and watched. She saw as Uutte and Draco walked into the common room and walked toward the imposters. They were smiling and when they stood right next to them…

          "You think that you're so cool Harry Potter!" Uutte sneered. "But my father had the right idea to kill you and now I'll finish the job!"

          Draco grabbed Hermione and pinned her to the ground. Degas watched as Ron sat there petrified as Uutte pulled out a muggle rifle and pointed it at them.

          _There's something we never tried. Shooting ourselves._ Degas thought.

          _Are you going to attack them or what!_ Galileo shouted at her.

          As Uutte started to pull the trigger Degas bounded out of the darkness and kicked with full force at Uutte's hand. The spikes, eight back-to-back lining the toes of her boots, sliced though her skin, nearly severing her hand. Uutte screamed and recoiled in agony. 

          The gun hit the floor and went off, Draco who was straddling Hermione clutched him stomach she pushed himself to his feet. 

          The others transformed into themselves.

          "Surprise." Degas said mockingly as she stood with her guys behind her.

          "Damn you to hell Degas!"

          "Yeah, I know." Degas smiled and tackled Uutte.

          The other three turned their attention to the bleeding Draco. Galileo cracked his knuckles and they move in on his.

          Uutte pulled out a tomahawk and started swing aimlessly at Degas. Degas pulled out her small dagger and started cutting Uutte, not to kill but to antagonize. Uutte screamed in pain, the porthole opened and McGonagall and Snape could be seen. Jak quickly ripped Snape into the room and started to beat the daylights out of him. Snape gabbed for his wand but Binx pulled it away.

          "Now, now Snape, let's play like good little muggles." Binx said snapping the wand in half.

          McGonagall closed the porthole and waited outside.

          "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU BITCH!" Uutte screamed when Degas carefully cut Uutte's jugular vein. With one powerful swing Uutte brought the tomahawk down into Degas's right clavicle. Degas screamed and ripped away, she starred down at Uutte who was choking now. When Degas screamed she had accidentally pulled her dagger across Uutte's neck, cutting a gap in her throat where all the blood was now rushing to.

          Degas stood up and ripped the tomahawk out and with a liquid movement threw it straight into Severus's head. Degas turned and looked at Draco who was already in fits of convulsions from the bullet wound to his stomach. Jak picked up the gun and offered it to Degas. She took it and gave it to Galileo who put the death bullet between Draco's eyes. 

          The Common room was a bloody mess. The four friends sat on the couch and starred at each other. Degas ran her hand over her clavicle, the bone was still broken but the wound was closed and the bleeding had stopped. But there was still some blood all over her front side and arm. 

          "Damn," She sighed and sat back. 

          "Well," Binx smiled. "That could have gone better."

          Everyone burst out laughing.

          "Damn, my shoulder." Degas said. "Laughing makes it hurt."

          "Is it broken?" Galileo asked.

          "Yeah, the bitch took a tomahawk to me."

          "Ah," Jak chuckled. "I was wondering where the tomahawk came flying from. I thought it had just magically apparated there."

          Everyone burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. The porthole opened and McGonagall and Lupin walked in. they looked around.

          "Well," McGonagall said in her stern voice. "I hardly see what is so funny about this."

          Lupin was studying Snape's dead body. "Nice aim."

          "Thanks." Degas laughed.

          "Come on, let's get you all checked by Madam Pomfrey." McGonagall said.

          Degas stood up and crouched down by Uutte. "Like I said earlier," she looked back at the others then back at the dead body. "It's people like you who screw up this world." 


	7. Rene's place

DISCLAIMER WITHSTANDING, THIS STORY IS NEARLY DONE, IWILL BE WRITING MORE FAN FICS ABOUT HARRYPOTTER AND OTHER BOOKS, IF YOU WANT TO BE IN ANY OF MY STORIES THEN EMAIL ME AND GIVE ME THE WHOLE DISPOSITION. READ AND REVIEW PLEASE. THANK YOU.

Rene's Place

          _Degas,_

_                    We went into hiding for one week like you said. We went to America where we ran into this girl named Rene. She said she knew you, do you know her? Well, anyways this is all that happened…_

~~~~~***~~~~~

They walked around the large, loud city. They wore white jeans and blue jerseys so they wouldn't lose each other. They were wondering around, Sirius, with the help of the polyjuice potion, was wondering around the States under the identity of Galileo, and he was grabbing the eyes of many women, and ore men.

A teenage girl with shoulder length brown hair and stunning, intense honey color eyes was sitting at a café a few feet away from them watching them intently. Ron kept glancing at her and pointing her out secretly to Harry and Sirius.

"She's been watching us ever since we got here. She's been following us and trying to look inconspicuous. But I've been watching her."

"Ron's right," Hermione said. "She has been following us, I've seen her too."

Sirius nodded. "Okay, let's walk around some more then if she is still following us we'll consult her about it."

"Consult? You make it sound like everything is going to be all right, but I've read about America, the people are a bunch of cutthroats and thieves. They are good for nothing-"

"Um excuse me, but that is incorrect and rude."

Rom jumped, the girl was standing right behind him smiling.

"I heard that Europe and other places are just as bad as America. If anything America has to be the best place since we have so much freedoms, no communism, though we do have politics and I really don't get it." The beautiful teen smiled and chuckled. "Hello," she held out her hand. "My name is Rene. Just Rene."

Ron shook her hand; he starred into her eyes, stunned by the sheer beauty. "I'm Ron Weasley, I am from England, I meant nothing by what I said about cutthroats and thieves."

The girl laughed, her beautiful, petite figure shook. She was wearing blue jean shorts that showed off her perfectly toned legs. Her shirt was a white tang top with a large heart on it, her hair was carelessly tied back with a blue ribbon and she hardly wore any makeup. Two bracelets jingled on her left wrist, a small silver ring with black hills gold autumn leaves was on her ring finger on her right hand. She shook hand with everyone with Ron.

          "I saw you four walking around like you had no please to go. Like you didn't know where you where in the first pace." She smiled at them. "So I am taking it that this is your first time in America?"

          Sirius nodded. "Yeah, our first."

          "You three are dressed the same, so I am guessing that you four are hiding from someone in Europe, you are here in America to hide…" she thought doe a long time and smiled and nodded. "Oh, I remember," she chuckled. "You all wouldn't happen to know an eternally young female by the name of Degas Oso would you?"

          Hermione gasped lightly.

          Rene looked at Hermione. "You totally give yourself away you know that?"

          Hermione blushed and looked away.

          "So you know her," Rene smiled. "I was wondering when she was going to show up again… was she at Hogwarts?" Rene shook her head. "Sometimes she is too predictable."

          Sirius starred at her. "How do you know her?"

          "Do you know much about her?" Rene asked. "She had a lover, who was murdered, his name was Terry. He was my older brother."

          Hermione gaped. Everyone was silent.

          Rene looked around. "Maybe this isn't the best place to be talking about this kind of stuff. Come on, I'll take you to my place; you can stay there until it is safe to go back to wherever it is you cam from. Hogwarts I think it was."

          "Where is your place?" Sirius asked.

          "It's an apartment loft, just a block from here."

          Sirius nodded. "All right."

          Rene smiled, turned and led them away. She led them into an apartment and up the stairs to the top. There was only one door on that flight, and it led into a perfect little cozy apartment loft. Once you stepped inside it was like walking in the forest; there were so many potted trees, flowers and plants hanging from nearly every inch of the ceiling.

          It was very hot in there, but very pleasant at the same time. There was a small kitchen and the dining room was connected openly to the living room. There was one room by the front door that leads to a bathroom, and another room, opposite of the kitchen, was the bedroom. 

          "This is home, it is small, but it is rich." Rene kissed the petals of a rose. "I came from a rich family, a rich magical family. Terry and I were born many years apart, but if you look at a picture of him and a picture of me we are as good as identical twins. When I was younger," she smiled. "He would always protect me. And I would help him whenever I could, I school, he was very poor at German studies. Our father wanted us to know as much as possible about muggles since the world is full of more muggles then it is of the wizarding kind. Then our mother died and I ran away. Terry and I always wrote to each other daily. Then one day he didn't write. So I wrote to the woman he was dating at the time. The letter I received was very teary, the words where barely readable." She frowned and sat on a high back chair. "She told me that her name was Degas Oso, she was originally from a place in Scotland but over the years she had moved all over the place and ended up in Montana and had fallen in love with my brother. She told me then that there was yet another woman who was in love with my brother, her name was Uutte. Uutte was deeply in love with my brother but my brother was in love with Degas. Degas came and found me, she told me that if I ever was in need of her help to not hesitate to call to her. She told me that she would avenge my brother's death, then, before she left me, she gave me this bracelet," she held up her hand to show a sliver bracelet with many Celtic knots all over it "And she told me that she would protect me forever." She chuckled. "I know it's funny, believing that she could actually protect me forever. No one lives forever, but I don't mind, when I hear promises like those, I just crumble."

          Her guests gasped. 

          "She never told her," Ron whispered to Harry. "I can't believe it."

          "What a troubled world we are living in now-a-days. There are so many ways to live, and so many ways to die. It is almost embarrassing to be in this world and not know whom you are, not knowing what you are to do next. And those people who commit suicide, they don't even understand that they should live, that there is so much in life to live for." She smiled at her guests. "I'm sorry for sounding like such a dower, I'll shall say one more thing before we can close this subject." She looked up at her plants. "I heard some where… someone or something told me once that the brave don't live forever but the cautious don't live at all, and that is the whole reason that I ran away. I had to live my own life. Terry was there to protect me, and so is Degas." She shrugged. "So it is nearly as good as immortality."

          "Well," Sirius smiled. "I heard somewhere that we are all immortal, until we die anyway."

          Rene starred at him and burst into laughter. "I like that!" she stood up and looked around. "The bed in my room is two full size beds put together. You all can fit in it if you do not mind sleeping together. It's spacious enough for all of you. Otherwise, I have a small room upstairs; I built a floor into the rafters and have a really cool upstairs. It has one bed, but it's a full. Good enough for two people. So it is all up to you."

          Sirius looked at the kids. "Well?"

          Hermione spoke up. "I'll sleep upstairs with Rene, you three can take the bed in there."

          Rene nodded. "And so it is done." She smiled. "Now what do you all want for dinner?"

          Sirius looked at the clock. "It's already time to go to sleep here?"

          Rene yawned. "Well, you have to remember that you have just entered a six hour time difference. There is a lot of food in the little refrigerator over there, um, it might seem a little weird but they are all labeled and they all taste great. Just help yourself, most the food doesn't have to be heated up, but if they do, then just stick it in the microwave and heat it up for the amount of time that is labeled on it." Rene looked at Hermione. "You're muggle aren't you?"

          Hermione nodded. "I am, and I do know how to run a microwave." She smiled.

          "Great, then I am going to go catch up on some sleep, something I haven't done in ages." Rene smiled. She looked at Ron and winked. 

          Ron blinked a few times then followed the rest of them into the kitchen. They heated up a big bowl of chili and a couple of good-sized T-bone steaks. Once they ate their fill they were sleepy. It was around one o'clock when Hermione climbed the ladder and crawled into bed. 

          The next morning, around ten, everyone came into the kitchen and found a note sitting on top a stack of plates.

          _Hey everyone! Good morning! In the tin holders are some mushrooms (sautéed) some shredded beef; some eggs (scrambled and over easy) slices of French toast, and some Danishes and tarts, I don't know what you guys eat at Hogwarts, but I hope you like this food. Here's a map of the city, I have highlighted in purple the libraries (they are really good, muggles have some interesting stuff to read. The ones highlighted it blue are places like museums (art and natural history) and a zoo, I thought you guys would like the zoo; it is a great place to go. The yellow highlights are the malls and shopping centers and the ones circled in red are where I am going to be today. I should be back here a little past four. I also didn't know if you had any muggle money on you, and there is no place here where you can exchange your money for muggle money. So here is four hundred dollars, it should be enough, feel free to spend it however you want. Don't be shy to buy things, I want you four to really enjoy it while you are hiding. Sirius, no one here knows that you were a convicted man, so you can walk around as yourself._

_          I hope you four enjoy today, when I get back I want to take you to go see a movie, there's this really good one out called _007 Die Another Day_ I heard that it is a great movie, and I want to take you four to go see it. Well, have fun, if you get lost here is my cell phone number: 883-2274_

                                       Bye and don't forget, don't be shy with the money, everything is my treat, I am always happy to help out friends of Degas. – Rene

                    P.S: I picked out some clothing for you three to wear, sorry if they are a little big; there are belts in my wardrobe if you need any. The clothes are draped over the seats; you should be able to figure it out. Bye

          They all laughed and began to eat; after breakfast they all went separate ways and put on their clothes. Hermione was wearing a flower dress and cute white sandals. Rene left her a cute hat to go with it and a gold necklace to wear for the day. Ron was dressed in blue jeans and a white shirt that said _Go Lobos!_ (The New Mexico Basketball team) across the front. Harry wore blue jeans and a red shirt with nothing on it. And Sirius had on Khaki pants and a blue tang top. Once satisfied with how they were dressed (no one needed a belt) they took the map, the money and they went to enjoy the day.

~~~~~***~~~~~

          _Degas,_

_                    Even I have to admit that was one of the greatest days I had. But it was nowhere near over. We went to the zoo, and then to a library and at the library there was a botanical garden so we lingered there. Then we went to the mall and bought some muggle outfits and some books. We also bought presents for people we knew back at Hogwarts, Harry got Cheo Chang a necklace, Ron (who has a crush on Rene) bought Rene a beautiful necklace, Sirius bought Lupin a bracelet and I bought you something. _

_          After the mall we went to an art museum and then back to Rene's house. When we got there we all took naps and when she got back we went to go see the movie. That's when… _

_~~~~~***~~~~~_

          "You'll all really love this movie it has to be the best I've seen in years, and I have seen a lot of movies!" Rene lead them to a ticket booth and then into the movie theater. She bought them drinks and some popcorn and led them into their theater. 

          "Wow, I've never been to see a movie." Harry said. "The Dursley's wouldn't allow it."

          Rene gasped. "Really? Wow, that must really be horrible. I couldn't imagine my life without a movie theater. I have to go see new movies; I make it my custom to go to the theater at least three times a month."

          "Well, I don't ever recall going to a movie either." Sirius said. "I never felt the need too."

          "I haven't been to one either," Ron added. "I always thought quidditch was more interesting."

          Rene sat next to Ron who was next to Harry then Sirius then Hermione. Ron blushed heavily when she chose to sit next to him.

          "You're absolutely right Ron," Rene nodded. "Quidditch is better!" 

          The movie began, first the trailers then the actual movie. They all watched the movie undistracted. Half way through Rene leaned into Ron and genteelly nipped his earlobe. He gasped lightly as she continued to nip at him then proceed to kiss his neck. He looked at her and she kissed him fully on the lips. He pulled back and gasped lightly again.

          "Rene?" he whispered. "What's that for?"

          "Does everyone need a reason to do something?" Rene asked as she pulled him closer kissing him again.

          Ron and Rene had made out four times before they got word that they had to leave America and head to a new country. That night before they had to leave Rene was sitting on the small loveseat couch in front of the small fire that burned hungrily. Ron walked out of his room and looked around.

          "Everyone's asleep?" he asked.

          Rene nodded. "I guess so."

          Ron sat next to her and she threw her legs over him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, forcing his mouth open with hers and her tongue darted into his mouth. He shivered but did the same and soon there lips were red from so much kissing.

~~~~~***~~~~~

          _I had gone downstairs because I was getting thirsty, she I got to the bottom of the ladder and saw them I watched them for a long time, it looked like they were swallowing each other. It was funny; but finally I decided that it would be best to leave them in peace. So I headed back upstairs when…_

~~~~~***~~~~~

          Rene glanced at the hearth and pulled away and screamed. Albus Dumbledore's head was sticking out of the fireplace. The fire had turned green and was smiling at them.

          "Where's Sirius?" Dumbledore asked. Ron pointed to the door behind him. Dumbledore climbed out of the fireplace and walked into the room.

          Sirius shrieked and nearly hit the ceiling, Harry shrieked due to hearing Sirius shrieked, Ron jumped and Hermione jumped down from the rafter room. 

          "What's wrong!" Hermione shouted.

          "Dumbledore! Please refrain from brushing my hair out of my face; I thought you were my Remus!"

          Harry fell to the floor laughing. Everyone ran into the room wide-eyed and ready to defend. 

          Dumbledore smiled at them then frowned. "Bad news,"

          Sirius looked at him. "What kind of bad news?"

          "The kind that makes you have to leave this place tonight." Dumbledore said sadly. "Head to Peru, Voldermort knows that his daughter has been slain, and he is going to try to find Harry, I have a friend in Peru, he can take care of you until this blows over. I don't think he's have the guts to come directly to Hogwarts, but who knows."

          "What about Degas?" Hermione asked.

          "Degas and her brothers are safe, they killed Uutte, Draco and Snape, who was involved with everything. They are all severely cut up and Degas had her right shoulder bone snapped in two different places. I was just taking them to the hospital wing but the Dementors came and took them away. They are in Azkaban right now, but we are working to try to reveal their innocence and we will get them out as soon as possible." Dumbledore looked at Hermione. "I am sorry that this had to happened." 

          "Everyone, gather what you need." Sirius said and the kids ran to gather their stuff.

          Dumbledore pulled Sirius aside. "I lied, you will fly to Albuquerque, there is an alley downtown, by a restaurant called the Frontier, I'll have a friend meet you there. Her name is Nani Surgo; she'll be dressed in black jean, sneakers and a purple tang top. She looks a little like Degas, but Nani's hair is blue, short and spiked. She'll ask your name first, you have to reply with asking her name then she'll lead you from there."

          "Dumbledore, how are we to get to Albuquerque exactly? These three can fly, but I can't."

          Dumbledore smiled. "You motorcycle is outside waiting for you with a full tank."

          Sirius's eyes lit up. "Really?" He hugged Dumbledore. 

          "Ah," Dumbledore flinched a little. "Yes, well, get out of here as soon as possible."

          "Right,"

          "Oh? One more thing Sirius."

          "Yes?"

          "You'll have to hang around the city until sunset."

          Sirius arched hi eyebrow. "Huh?"

          "Nani is a vampire." Dumbledore walked up to Rene. "Can you lend them some more money Rene? I'll pay you back."

          "Don't worry about it Dumbledore." Rene smiled. "They can have the money, I don't need it back." She handed the money to Dumbledore. "You give it to them, they won't accept anymore form me."

          "You're probably right. Thank you Rene, I am sorry about your brother, he was a good man."

          "As long as Degas killed Uutte I am very satisfied." 

          Dumbledore smiled, took the money and headed out for Sirius.

          Ron and Rene kissed once more, then he transformed and they all flew off. Dumbledore took some Floo powder and left. Rene frowned and walked to her room she saw a little note on the pillow, attached to it was a beautiful diamond necklace. She opened the note and read:

          _Dear Rene,_

_          I hope you like my present, I really, really like you and I hate it that I had to leave so early. But please, if we can, keep in touch, writing letters, using the phone and so one. Thank you for all the kindness you have shown my friends and I, we are in your debt. I… I think I love you Rene._

_                                       Thank you for everything_

_                                       Thank you for the kisses_

_                                                Good-bye_

                                                          Ron Weasley 

          Rene smiled and hugged the letter. 

~~~~~***~~~~~

          _Degas,_

_                    We got to Albuquerque, and that night we were ushered into an alley by Nani, she got us into an inn and we stayed there for only two days with strict instructions to not leave the alley. We got to buy a few items (scrolls, ink, and quills) they accept muggle money here it is so cool. After the two days Dumbledore came and took us home._

_                             And that is all._


	8. Azkaban

DISCLAIMER IS WITHSTANDING, MUSIC BY STABBING WESTWARD.

Azkaban

There are times when I'm just a shell   
When I do not feel anything for anyone   
All I feel is hollow and bruised   
Used up and misused   
Forced to be someone I don't want to be   
Have I failed somehow or some way   
Will the weight of today finally pull me down to drown   
In the depths of despair   
Where I am alone   
Except for my rage   
  
My rage   
My pain   
I hate my darkest days   
My rage   
My pain   
I hate my darkest days   
My rage   
My pain   
I hate my darkest days   
My rage   
My pain   
I hate my darkest days   
My darkest days

Everything I touch, I break

Everything I touch, I break

Everything I touch, and I break it out

          Three weeks had passed since the murder of Uutte, Snape and Draco. Degas, Binx, Galileo and Jak were in Azkaban but the staff of Hogwarts was pulling everything together and was furiously writing day and night to the Ministry about their innocence. A huge funeral was held at the demand of Lucius Malfoy, but barely anyone cried for Draco and Professor Snape. Harry, Hermione and Ron were back at school, no one suspected that they had anything to do with it.

          _Hermione, since our innocence is in question we have been celled together and today we got our stuff back after a careful inspection of it all. So now the boys and me can sit here, brooding all of our good thoughts (the Dementors that always standing outside out cell must be getting quite full since we have so many good memories since we are immortal and all). I have so many good thoughts but the ones that I have been thinking of ever since I got here were the ones of us kissing. The ones of the times you were with me, these memories are the strongest, and the Dementors can't seem to take it from me. The guys and I sleep most of our day, we barely eat and when we are not sleep we are talking about how that fight went. Binx is writing furiously in his book along with Galileo and Jak, they are explaining what really happened in the battle. Even I have to admit that it was pretty easy, but I think that my shoulder is still broken, when I lie on it or move it the wrong way it hurts like a bitch. The Dementors came and took us away right before we got to the hospital wing, so none of us got checked. I think I might be the only one with the worse injuries, except, of course, of the three we killed._ Degas paused and smiled. A large circle was drawn on her sheet and she was smiling as she filled it in. _I was sitting in my own cell for the first couple of weeks, that song by Stabbing Westward "Darkest Days" {_Lyrics at beginning of chapter} _was stuck in my head and I was very pissed off for being dragged here and thrown into a cell. I would think for hours on end, I wouldn't eat or sleep, I would just think. And I don't even know what I was thinking about. I would find myself thinking and I would snap out of it and try to think of what I was thinking right before but I wouldn't remember so I would try to think about what I was thinking about and I would start thinking about it again. It was an endless cycle and when I told the guys when we got in here it turns out that the exact same thing that was happening to them. I have all my stuff back, so I am able to smoke here. So I am smoking right now. It is really relaxing to smoke after half a year of not being able to. But I am telling you this now, don't ever smoke! This shit can kill you! But when you're immortal… well, what's to be expected? Remember when you said that you wanted to be with me? And you said since I was immortal I would probably get bored with you? Then I told you that I wouldn't. Well, I wasn't lying. I want to be by your side until you pass into the next world or you get bored with me. I love you Hermione, I always will. I believe that people have soul mates and no matter how many times you die and are reborn you will always find that one soul mate that you were with in your last life. Sometimes your soul is a girl, sometimes it is a boy, but you always find each other. When I was thinking in my cell just the other day I was thinking about all the people I had ever loved. They all had things in common, and this just hit me! After 101 years you would have thought I would have seen this earlier, but I guess all I needed was a cell in Azkaban to see this. The things in common were: all of them were magical, all of them loved to read, all of them were apprehensive about love, all of them that meet me were on their first time with love experiences, and all of them were able to transform into animals, they were all animagis. You are a morph now, maybe that'll stay in your soul, and then it'll be easier to spot you in your next life._

_          So what do you think? Do you think that I am crazy to believe that I have met you and loved you in other lifetimes? Do I sound like a crazy madman in Azkaban to think this stuff? Well, maybe I am. "Am I insane? Quite so. But not stupid!" that is a quote from one of my favorite movies, Gen-X Cops have you seen it? You have got to see it, it is a great movie! Well, my circle is nearly full and I have to go anyway, I need to sleep and think some more about you and what I am going to do once I get out of here. So, I love you, I am thinking about you all the time. You keep me sane here._

_                                                Love always_

                                                                   Degas 

            Hermione starred at her book as the giant circle formed on her sheet and began to fill itself with words. Hermione read them over and over again before writing a teary reply.

          _Degas, hello my love. Well, we talked to Dumbledore today and he said he had it worked out with the Ministry finally. They'll let you go but in one year. The Ministry is all over Hogwarts right now; they are looking all over the place for any clues. The Gryffindor tower has been cleared out, we are not allowed in there right now. We have to sleep in extra classrooms that aren't being used. I found your CD player the other day; I'm listening to Stabbing Westward right now. They are a great band the music is awesome! The songs you talk about are so very sad; I cannot believe that you pretty much live your life off of all these songs. It mustn't be a great life. Sirius is here, I told Harry and Ron about my love for you, so now they know about, but I made them promise that no other student here finds out. I don't really need that kind bullying. I love you Degas, and I will always be here for you. Is one year too much to ask? I will wait for you right here. And if at all possible I will try to come and visit you with Dumbledore and the others. Keep sane my love._

_                                       Immortally yours_

                                                Hermione 

          Degas starred at the reply, everyone in the morph family now knew about their love. Degas was just fine with that.

Degas: _Everyone, is it true that we only have to be in here for one year? If that is so then I say that we just hunker down and start dreaming about what we are going to do once we get out of here!_

Jak: _Yeah, I'm down with that._

Galileo: _This place isn't all that bad._

Binx:_ All I need is an Iced Cappuccino_

Degas:_ Yeah I'm down with that._

Hermione:_ Are you guys serious?_

Binx:_ Hell yeah, it is quite cozy here._

Hermione:_ ………… you four are shameless!_

Harry:_ Sirius says hello and that you won't be saying that by the end of the year._

Jak:_ Tell Sirius to KISS ASS!!!_

Galileo:_ Um, roughly translated to YEAH RIGHT!_

Degas:_ it really is cozy here._

Ron:_ …_

Degas:_ I'm not saying that I want a summer home here but the Dementors really look like demented trees!_

Binx/Jak/Galileo/Harry/Hermione/Ron:_HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!_

Degas:_ Okay okay! I got a cramp from laughing._

Hermione:_ Have fun._

Degas:_ Hey you three! Study hard! When we get out of here it'll be you guys last year at Hogwarts! So you better be studying and all that! Hey! Who's the new Potions teacher?_

Harry:_ Sirius posing as Galileo, thanks for leaving the hair in that pouch Galileo._

Galileo:_ well, as you all should know Degas was cursed to see fragments of the future. She told me._

Degas:_ yeah about that, it seems that extreme pain broke that curse, I no longer see into the future. _

Ron:_ I think that is for the better, but yeah, thanks for the hair, Sirius is way better then Snape._

Galileo:_ Well, just keep studying and when we get out…_

The year was slow but very bearable for the Morph prisoners of Azkaban. The Ministry, after a long and thorough search of Hogwarts finally announce to the entire Wizarding world that Uutte really was the genetic daughter of Voldermort and that she, Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape were plotting to kill Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger but due to the bravery of a few friends they were saved. 

They were free and as they stepped out into the sun for the first time in one year they all opened their arms, stretched and screamed at the top of their lungs: "FREEDOM ROCKS!!!"

They arrived at the Hogwarts Castle a little after morning classes started. Dumbledore ushered them into the Dining Hall were a small feast was all ready set for them. McGonagall hurried off and gathered the three younger morphs and ushered them into the Dining Hall.

"Degas!" Hermione screamed and ran into her arms.

Degas grabbed Hermione and they kissed a long passionate kiss. Hermione was in tears she was so glad. Sirius and Lupin were ushered in. Galileo and a Galileo look alike were staring at each other. Everyone burst into laughter.

"It's so good to see you!" Harry exclaimed.

"It's great to have you back!" Ron said hugging Binx and Jak at the same time.

The Morph race all gather for a giant hug, all babbling about how glad they were to see each other, about Azkaban, about the past year that they hadn't written about.

Sirius and Lupin had gotten married they were congratulated. 

They all sat down and began to eat.

          Peace out. Email me still if you want to be in any stories, give me your character's name, description, what they do, ect… I am outta' here for now, please REVIEW!!!! PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!


	9. Black Knight

Disclaimer: Go to www.geocities.com/quidditch_champ_raven/Coyote_Iktomi.html to see pictures of me, to read about me and to see the pix I have of Iktomi and upcoming characters. If you have any pictures you want posted them email them to me and I will have them posted for you. I do not own Harry Potter, but I do own Degas, Binx, Galileo and Iktomi (A character form the Oglala Sioux folklore) and the Little People, who are in all cultures of Native Americans. READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!

Black Knight 

          The night sky perfectly hid Degas as it usually did. She wore her black clothing (black jeans tucked into combat boots with a skintight black tang top and black fingerless gloves), her hair, shaved half and inch above her ears and all the way down leaving a small patch that was braided and reached the small of her back, the hair above her ears reached her shoulder and was jet black. Her tanned skin caught the soft moonlight and looked momentarily like a ghost. Her silver eyes were darting in every direction but saw nothing. She skidded to a stop in the middle of a deserted intersection. The wind stirred in a gentle breeze, but there was no sound whatsoever. 

          "Degas," a voice said in her ear. She tapped the communicator and the voice got louder. "Degas, what's happening?"

          "I see nothing." Degas reported. "Are you sure that she is coming this way? Is there solid proof that she is coming to Hogwarts?"

          "Degas, where else would she go? Harry has a lot of enemies, Ikto is one of them." 

          "But there is no proof that Ikto wants to kill Harry." Degas shook her head. "Galileo, what if everyone is wrong about Ikto? What if her story is like Sirius'?"

          Galileo laughed. "Hardly! We know that she is a murder and worse!"

          Something stirred in the shadow to Degas's left. 

          "Hold on." Degas whispered and focused her eyes. "Something's out there."

          A shadow moved slightly then shifted and moved into a tree. Degas, standing in a pool of light, slowly stepped backwards out of it. The shadow jumped out of the tree and landed in the light staring at Degas maliciously. The person was tall leans, wearing a scary assortment of clothing. But what really caught the eyes of Degas was the large black sword the person held behind itself. 

          "Hello Degas." The young man said in a soothing, seducing voice. His eyes were icy blue; his straight hair was gray-blue-black, partly cut to his shoulder and the rest of it reached the small of his back and his creamy tan skin had no faults. 

          Degas was awestruck. Her jaw dropped and her eyes roamed his enticing body. 

          He looked around and walked off, knowing that Degas wouldn't do a thing to stop him. Not that she could, He thought.

          "Dumbledore!" Degas shouted down the halls. It was two in the morning, Degas had just snapped out of her stupor from seeing the man and was now running down the Hogwarts corridors. "DUMBLEDORE!"

          The old man with long silvery hair was rushing toward her. "What is it Degas?"

          "Iktomi!" she breathed.

          "What?"

          Her brothers were running toward them.

          "Iktomi is here! He's come for Harry!"

          Dumbledore looked around. "Who's Iktomi?"

          Everyone starred at Dumbledore. "When Tom Riddle went away after he graduated this school," Jak started. "He went to America, there he met this man, a Native American man named Iktomi, now Iktomi is suppose to be this trickster of the Oglala Sioux culture, but I doubt this is the same man."

          "Anyways, he and Riddle got together and decided it best to kill Harry Potter together." Binx said. 

          Dumbledore looked grave. "And he is here? In Hogwarts?"

          Degas shrugged. "I am not sure, I saw him at Hogsmeade but he got away."

          "Walked away is more like it." Binx muttered.

          "What was that?" Dumbledore asked.

          "Well sir," Jak said. "Iktomi is a very beautiful man, all who see him, men and women alike are in awe by his good looks. He gets away by stunning them with how he looks."

          The other nodded and Dumbledore looked around. "So he is after Harry?" 

          "We believe it to be so." Galileo said. "He is a murder."

          "I murdered those people with good cause." A voice echoed lightly in the halls. "But no one hears my side of the story."

          They all looked around but saw no one.

          "Those people were guilty from the start." Iktomi walked into the light of a torch near them. "I do not work with any one person in specific unless I have no other choice. I am a rouge warrior, and depending on who you talk to I am a renegade."

          Dumbledore looked curious. "Renegade? From who?"

          Iktomi smiled. "Voldermort." He rested his hands on his sword and leaned back slightly.

          "Why are you here?" Dumbledore asked.

          Iktomi turned slowly and began to walk away. "Why was Sirius Black here?" he crackled a cold laugh and vanished.

          Everyone looked at each other, awe struck and scared.

          Sirius kept an ever-watchful eye on his godson after Dumbledore told the staff that Iktomi was on the prowl and possibly after Harry. Hagrid occasionally caught glimpses of Ikto walking around the forest, but Hagrid made no attempts to go after Ikto, though he did ask the centaurs to keep an eye on him and report if he does anything funny.

          "People are afraid of you Ikto." 

          "I know that Los." Ikto replied one night under the full moon. They were staring at the stars, a rouge warrior and a centaur.

          "So tell them the truth, get your name cleared."

          "Why should I?"

          "The stars would have it that way." Los paused. "Well, they would if you were written up there in them."

          Ikto laughed. "I am written up there in them!"

          "Where?"

          "But I am written in the western sky, above my home in the Great Plains of America. But people do not read of me, they think that I am still the man in the old myths. Well, that was my ancestor, I am not the trickster who gets my head stuck in any buffalo skulls anymore."

          Los laughed. "Buffalo skulls?"

          Ikto smiled. "Yes, it was something my prideful grandfather did a long time ago."

          Los laughed and then stopped abruptly. "Did you hear that?"

          Ikto was on his feet. "More sensed it then heard it."

          They were looking around, not with their eyes, but with their ears. They stopped and looked straightforward. A giant wolf and a bear sized black dog were staring at them through the brush.

          Los, deep black with hazel eyes and long braided black hair was pawing at the ground. "What to do?" he said softly.

          Iktomi was on his feet. His cloth held at his belt was black now; his tang top was a dark gray. He did not have his sword with him; he had left it in a cave where he slept. He pulled a white-silvery wolf skin of his head and ran off. Los followed, so did the wolf and dog.

          _Over there! In that clearing!_ Sirius said to Remus through ESP. the two headed for the clearing but saw nothing. They were looking around with a giant white-silvery wolf leapt out of a tree and tackled Remus. The tackle was more of a threat then an attack. The wolf backed off and crouched close to the ground ready if they attacked him.

          _Why are you after Harry!_ Remus growled.

          _My business is of my own knowing. Why do you care about the boy?_ Ikto asked.

          _The boy is dear to me._

_          Then it would pain you to know that I am not the only one after him. But I am sure you knew that… thing is I am not after him to kill him._

_          Then why?_

Ikto growled and circled them. _Like I said my business is of my own knowing._

_          The boy is my godson!_ Sirius barked. _You shall not touch him! You shall not go anywhere near him!_

Ikto laughed his cold eerie laugh. _I never go anywhere near people… they…_ Ikto was walking off but his voice drifted to their ears. _… They come to me…_

        "You are to go nowhere near the forest, do you understand this Harry?" Sirius said. "Nor are you to go to anyone whom you do not know."

        "Sirius," Harry started. "Why are you being so uptight?"

        Sirius frowned and looked away. "Just do as I say."

        Harry looked down and walked off. He met with Ron outside. "Where's Hermione?"

        "Off with Degas would be my guess." Ron suggested. "What did Sirius want?"

        "Just told me not to go to anyone I don't know and to stay away from the forest. That's all."

        "Why?"

        "He wouldn't say. It is as if someone is after me again… why can't they understand that I am perfectly capable of watching out for myself. I've met Voldermort," Harry saw Ron wince. "Sorry, I've met You-Know-Who many times and I always get away."

        "Barely."

        Harry glared at Ron.

        "Well, it's true." Ron shrugged. "Point taken, you do get away alive."

        "Precisely!" Harry nodded. "So why worry? If it is Voldermort, I'll manage. If it is someone else… then what's there to worry about?"

        They made their way to the Great Hall in silence. Hermione and Degas came running down the hall to join them.

        "Where were you?" Ron asked.

        "Nowhere." Hermione panted.

        "Did Sirius talk to you Harry?" Degas asked.

        "Yeah, what is everyone so uptight about?" he asked but Degas diverted her gaze to a suit of armor.

        "Wow look at that… a stain, Flinch will have a hay-day getting that out." Degas said pitifully.

        They all sat down, Remus and Sirius tapped Degas and her brother on the shoulder and took them to the hall. Harry, Ron and Hermione watched from their seats. 

        "He transformed?" Binx asked. "How?"

        "I don't know, but I saw him with a wolf skin and then the next time I saw him he was a wolf." Remus said.

        Galileo and Jak starred at each other. They seemed to be thinking the same thing, yet the thought seemed impossible.

        "What is it?" Sirius asked.

        "Well," Galileo looked over at him. "It is said that Native Americans have this ability to transform."

        "He cannot be an animagis we would have spotted that a long time ago." Jak said. "But… skin walking? Do you think that could be his power?"

        Galileo shrugged. "Skin walking is a power strictly given to Native Americans. They put the skin of an animal over their heads and they can transform into that animal. If he is a skin walker then… then I just don't know."

        "Can't you kill it?"

        "Oh yeah!" Binx said. "Skin walkers can be killed. But Iktomi is something totally different. He is far from being human."

        "What do you mean?"

        "In the old stories of the Lakota people, Iktomi is a sort of God. Even if this Iktomi is not the Iktomi from the stories, he is bound to be of blood kin of the real Iktomi. Meaning he has God blood in his veins, which means that he will be very difficult to kill."

        "But you can kill him?" Sirius asked. 

        "Yes, we can, it will take some time, but we can do it." Degas smiled. "We will do it."

        They returned to their meal, looking more than a little worried.

        "What was that about?" Hermione asked Degas. 

        Degas smiled and shook her head. "Nothing."

        Harry and Ron exchanged looks and nodded. That night when everyone was asleep they crept into the common room and transformed into small Anubis jackal and left the common room. 

        They bounded through the corridors and out of the castle. They ran at full speed to the forest and, once safely inside the thick coverage of the forest, they transformed back into themselves and looked around. They wondered around for about an hour before they came upon a clearing.

        "Well, well, well," a cold voice pierced the silence. "Look at what the cat dragged in." Iktomi jumped down in front of them smiling. "Harry Potter," Ikto bowed slightly. "So very nice to see you… again."

        "Again?" Harry asked.

        "Of course you would not remember but I first saw you when you were very young, that night when your parents were killed. I admit that I was going to give you to Voldermort, but for two reasons I did not." Ikto looked around. "Do the others know that you are here?"

        "No." he said quickly. "What are your reasons?"

        Ikto smiled. "One was Voldermort was nowhere to be seen. But the main reason I did not give you to him, was because I sensed something in you." Ikto looked at Harry with puzzlement. "Funny, it is still there."

        Harry shrugged. "Are you trying to kill me?"

        "No beating around the bushes with you is there?" Ikto laughed.

        Harry glared at him. "Well even if you did want to kill me the love my mother had for me disables you from touching."

        Ron nodded happily.

        Ikto starred at them then burst out laughing. "You are so funny!" Ikto calmed himself and ran a hand through his hand. "I never intended to kill you. As for love, I understand it way better then Voldermort."

        Ron shuddered. "Then why are you here?"

        "Oh yeah, my mission." He scratched his head. "I am here because Voldermort is coming and I want to tell him something. Of course he won't come near me unless-" he ripped out a rope from behind him and tackled Harry to the ground and quickly tied him up.

        Ron grabbed his wand but before he could say anything Ikto tripped him and was bearing down on him with his sword.

        "Don't get me wrong or anything, I am not even planning on giving you to Voldermort Harry. I don't even know you,"

        "Then why are you doing this?" Harry asked. "Ron, are you okay?"

        Ron gulped. "I'm fine." He whimpered.      

        "Don't worry Ron," Ikto said but didn't ease the sword away from Ron's throat. "I don't even plan on doing anything to you. I am doing this because I am a rouge warrior, do you understand that?"

        Harry squirmed. "When I get out of this-"

        "Don't even try to transform, those are magical ropes binding you, they won't allow you to transform." Ikto looked at Ron. "Now let me explain my plan to you, but after I do you have you have to swear that you will not repeat it to anyone, especially Degas and the others. Is that clear?"

        Ron and Harry nodded.

        "All right then." Ikto snapped his fingers and the ropes loosened but did not come off. "There is something that Voldermort took from the forest of America, if you ever come across something in the forests of America you never take it without asking permission of the owners first. Voldermort took a plant and he did not ask permission."

        "A plant?" Ron chuckled. "Who cares about a plant."

        "Un-ah…" Ikto shook his index finger. "The forest belongs to the _Yunwi Djunsti_ otherwise known as the Little People. If you take something form them and do not ask permission to take it then they can and will track you down and attack you. This plant was a very special plant, it is known as the Brandy Weed and it possesses great power. A kind of power that can make you immortal when mixed with other plants and herbs. The Little People of that forest I know very well, and they know that he will use that plant to cause harm. So they are coming after him."

        "And why are you here?" Harry asked.

        "Well, they have been looking for him for about ten years now, he is a very hard man to track down. But after Degas and the others killed Uutte, his daughter, he decided to come straight here and kill you, Ron and Hermione."

        "Why Hermione and me?" Ron whimpered.

        "Because he knows that you, Harry and Hermione are now siblings to Degas, Binx, Jak and Galileo." Ikto smiled. "And if he killed you and Hermione it would really pain the guys, Hermione and Degas are lovers are they not? Hermione's death would greatly hurt Degas and Harry's death would just be heaven." Ikto frowned. "Not to mention that your death would impale Binx and Jak and Galileo, they are very protective of you Ron, did you know that?"

        Ron apparently did not know that. "Really?"

        Ikto laughed. "Really! Whenever someone badmouths you they are in their face all the time telling them off. You take lot of shit you know Ron? There are a lot of other things going on between them right now, you'd really be surprised." Ikto put his sword away. "You have to go back to them telling them that I have kidnapped Harry and am planning on giving him to Voldermort."

        "What!" Ron jumped up.

        "Don't worry I would never do that," Ikto smiled. "But it has to be said, Voldermort has a lot of spies and just in case any of them are listening to you, they can't hear here, I've enchanted this place to be silent, but if they are listening to you at Hogwarts then they will report to Voldermort that I have Harry. Voldermort always seems to find me when I want to be found." Ikto smiled wider. 

        Ron put his wand away. "What if they ask how I got away?"

        "Say I was too busy with Harry." Ikto smiled. "I am way to powerful for you to handle alone, so I think that they won't ask anything beyond that."

        Ron looked at Harry. "You think I should?"

        Harry nodded. "Yes, be afraid when you tell them though."

        Ron nodded; he turned, looked over his shoulder one last time, then transformed into a cheetah and ran full speed toward the castle.

        Ikto looked at Harry. "If this all goes the way I think it should… then Voldermort will still live, he is yours Harry, you have to kill him, you know that right?"

        Harry closed his eyes. "I know."

        Ikto looked up at the night sky. "Wow… you can really see Saturn can't you?"

        Harry opened his eyes and looked. "Yeah, is that good?"

        Iktomi looked at Harry. "I guess we'll see, won't we?"

        "HE'S GOT HARRY! HE'S GOT HARRY!" Ron shouted and he transformed and skidded to a halt in the Great Hall. Remus and Sirius were passing when they heard Ron.

        "Who's got Harry?" Sirius asked.

        Degas, Binx, Jak and Galileo came running out to them. "What's going on?"

        "Iktomi!" Ron shouted. "He's… he's got Harry."

        Degas looked around. "Where are they?"

        "The forest." Ron panted.

        "What were you doing in the forest!" Sirius boomed.

        "Harry wanted to know what you were all so uptight about. We were curious."

        "Curiosity killed the cat." Sirius hissed as they all ran out, leaving Ron in the hall.

        Voldermort chuckled; through a little mirror portal he watched them. "And satisfaction brought it back."

        Okay people, read and review, I am almost done with this story. Well, I thought I was done with it but I am not… so I will finish it here in a few weeks depending on how school goes. Please read and review!!!!!!


	10. Iktomi's Sucess

DISCLAIMER WITHSTANDING PLEASE OH PLEASE REVIEW!

          "LET HIM GO YOU BASTARD!" Sirius screamed out at Iktomi.

          "Language… language," Ikto cackled. "You mustn't be rude to me, I might accidentally let poor Harry Potter fall." Ikto looked over at Harry who was tied tightly to a tree branch that looked fatally over a cliff's edge.

          "Bastard!" Binx hissed. "Just to let Voldemort regain power."

          Ikto frowned. "See what I mean?" He said to Harry honestly. "No one likes me, no one hears my side of the story."

          "Well, you do make yourself seem guilt a lot." Harry said weakly.

          "I know… but I cannot help it, it is not my fault." Ikto was facing Harry and away from the others. "Voldemort should be here very soon. Once he is here I'll let you go. Are you going to fight him now or wait until later?"

          "Will I really have a choice?"

          Ikto looked at Harry sympathetically. "No, not really."

          "Then I'll fight him later." Harry looked over at his friends who were trying to figure a way to get Harry out of there without killing him. "Why don't you just tell them Ikto? Tell them that you are not a bad person?"

          Ikto had his arms crossed. "Because people see and hear only what they want to see and hear." He said sadly. "They think that I am a murder, but I am not. Those people I murdered where Death Eaters, if I had not killed them then they would have given the other herbs and plants to Voldemort and he would be immortal by now." Ikto looked over at Harry who gasped lightly. "But no one would believe me of that story because the potion he would have brewed is not even known around here. It is an American potion that not many people hear about. Since it has to do with immortality it was outlawed and banned from being written in any book."

          "So how did Voldermort hear about it?"

          Ikto sighed. "One man, he discovered the potion, had written it down in a journal, he also wrote down the potion to counter act the potion. If you took the counter acting agent it would kill anything immortal. A vampire who was sick of being immortal stole the journal and made the counter-acting potion and he died, and that is how the world discovered it. The journal was lost and I happened upon it when I was walking one day with Voldemort. I have memorized the counter potion, I have also discovered that if you add pomegranate juice along with a couple of petals from a rose the potion will make you mortal but it will not kill you. Then you can die of old age and-"

          Degas tackled Iktomi, pushing him over the edge. Iktomi looked at Harry, his eyes, for the first time, were full of fear. 

          "NNNNNOOOOO!" Harry screamed but was helpless to save him.

          Iktomi disappeared into the mist, and Harry could only watch on in agony.

          "Harry! Oh God Harry!" Sirius cried as he pulled him out of the tree.

          "WHY THE FUCK DID YOU DO THAT!" Harry shouted at Degas. "WHY THE HELL DID YOU KILL IKTOMI?"

          "Did that kill him?" Remus asked.

          "Depending on how far down this cliff goes," Jak peered over the edge and into the mist. "Yeah, he should be dead."

          Harry collapsed and was crying. Sirius picked him up and began to carry him off. Harry tried to struggle out of his godfathers grip but was too weak from crying to do so.

          They managed to get to the clearing where Ikto tackled Lupin when a cold laugh made them stop.

          "He's alive? Iktomi survived?" Galileo gasped.

          Harry looked up hopefully but faltered, it was not Iktomi he saw in the trees, but Voldemort.

          Voldemort cackled. "Just put the boy down there, let me deal with him."

          Sirius put Harry down, only to step in front of him along with the others.

          "If you want the boy," Degas growled. "Come and claim him!" everyone drew a weapon and stood ready to attack Voldemort.

          Voldemort laughed his cold steely laugh. "Do you honestly think that you could ever defeat me?" he drew his wand and pointed it at Degas and her brothers. "You'll pay dearly for even trying."

          "You don't remember us do you Tom?" Galileo smiled.

          "Don't call me that!" Voldemort shouted.

          "I don't think Tom Marvolo Riddled ever liked us you guys," Jak smirked. "I think we always wasted him."

          Voldemort grimaced. "I remember you three. The immortal odd quad."

          The four of them bowed. 

          "Well, I know your weaknesses… Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter." He grinned. "Wouldn't they hit a sore spot now?"

          "You shall not touch them!" Binx barked.

          "Oh but I shall." He smiled and with a wave his wand Ron and Hermione were tied up and in his hands. He glared at Harry, "Why can I not get him?"

          Harry gasped. "The ropes." He muttered.

          Sirius turned. "What?"

          "Iktomi tied me in magical ropes, stopped me from transforming, maybe it stops all magic."

          "Why would he do that?" Remus asked out of the side of his mouth.

          "Because…" Harry was adding it all up in his head. "Because if the tree gave out, the ropes would still hover there and I wouldn't get hurt."

          "But why would he try to save you if he was just going to give you to Voldemort just so they could kill you?" Sirius asked.

          Harry glared at him. "Because Iktomi wasn't going to give me to Voldemort at all, I was bait, I was the bait to get Voldemort, and I agreed to it!" Harry straightened his back and the ropes fell off.

          "Harry Potter!" Voldemort shouted. 

          Harry grabbed his wand. "Accio Hermione, Accio Ron!"

          Hermione and Ron where drawn to him as if on an invisible rope. Harry tied the magical rope to Ron's ankle, Hermione's ankle and his own ankle. He then stood up and drew his own wand.

          Voldemort was stunned. "What… How?"

          "Harry no!" Galileo shouted.

          Ron drew his wand, so did Hermione.

          "I'm going to fight Voldermort, it is because of you that Iktomi is dead, he was on our side." He muttered to them and stepped in front.

          Voldemort smiled and started toward them, wand drawn ready to kill them all. "_Avada…_"

          Harry's eyes went wide, Hermione screamed. Everyone was frozen with fear.

          "…_ Kedavra_!"

          They all had their eyes closed tightly waiting to feel the release of life that was death, but it never came.

          Slowly they opened their eyes, Iktomi was standing in front them, his black sword raised, his right palm pressed against the blade's side reflecting the curse. He ripped his hand away from the blade with a loud curse.

          "Iktomi!" Voldemort shouted. "Why did you stop me?"

          Iktomi looked at his palm and quickly put his hand down. "Why kill them my lord?" Iktomi ripped Harry away from everyone else; with one look he cut the ropes holding them together. "Play along," He whispered into Harry's ear.

          "What do you mean Iktomi?" Voldemort asked.

          "I mean why kill them all so quickly?" Iktomi snapped his fingers and tied everyone to the trees. "We could kill them all very slowly. Hermione is very precious to Degas, Ron is very precious to the men, Harry is everyone hero, so kill these three slowly and make the others watch and suffer as you have suffered." Iktomi suggested.

          Voldemort nodded. "Yes, I shall do that; I shall also extract my immorality in front of them."

          Iktomi looked at him. "Come again?"

          Voldemort held out a vile containing a greenish red liquid. "All I have to add is the Brandy Weed and the elixir is complete!" 

          Iktomi gasped. "Sire, let me add it, it would be a greatest honor if you allowed me to mix the final chemical into it for you my lord." Iktomi bowed.

          Voldemort nodded. "Very well Iktomi, you have served me faithfully," he handed the vile and the Brandy Weed to Iktomi. "I fully trust you."

          Iktomi smiled and looked at Harry. Harry's tear streaked face flickered with a smile of hope, but quickly vanished. Iktomi turned with his back to everyone and sat down mixing the ingredients. Iktomi looked around and the Little People made their selves known to Iktomi. They were well hidden behind the trees and bushes. Iktomi nodded to a little one dressed in pants and a shirt. He held a pomegranate and Iktomi nodded and the Little Man threw it at Iktomi. Iktomi ripped it open and began to bit into it furiously. 

          "Iktomi, is it ready?"

          Iktomi jumped up, put the top back on it and shook it vigorously mixing everything together. It had turned into a deep red color as he handed it back to Lord Voldemort.

          "Ah, my finest moment!" Voldemort smiled and downed the potion. He clutched his stomach and fell to the ground.

          Everyone watched with bated breath.

          Voldemort climbed to his hands and knees, then to his feet. He looked at himself and then looked up to everyone around. 

          "I've done it, I am immortal!" he shouted triumphantly.

          "Not quite." Iktomi said pulling Harry out of Voldemort's reach. He held up the pomegranate and smiled. "I turned it into the counter potion Voldie."

          Voldemort brandished his wand. "You'll pay dearly for this Iktomi!"

          Iktomi shoved Harry behind himself just as-

          "_Avada_ _Kedavra!_"Lord Voldemort shouted. A green light engulfed Iktomi.

          When it died away everyone could see Little People coming out of hiding and attack Voldemort. They all averted their gaze to Iktomi, he had his hands up trying to block it, and he staggered forward and fell. His body twitched then was still.

          The ropes disappeared and everyone rushed to Iktomi.

          "Is he dead?" Hermione cried.

          Ron checked for a pulse. "I can feel one!" he shouted. "It's weak, we have to get him up to the castle… he might not survive!"

          Sirius snapped his fingers and a stretcher appeared out of thin air. Remus and Galileo hauled Iktomi onto the stretcher and they began to run toward the castle. 

          Iktomi gasped.

          "We're almost there!" Harry shouted. "Please hold on Ikto! We are almost at the castle."

          "Harry," Iktomi coughed. "You OK?"

          Everyone stopped; they knew he wasn't going to make it. It was amazing that he was still alive.

          "I'm fine."

          "Any… one… hurt…"

          "No," Harry shook his head. "You blocked us all…" Harry cried, tears streaking down his face. "You… you purposely tied us in a straight… straight line."

          Iktomi chocked a laugh. "Maybe," he took a sharp breath. "But… you'll never know." He sighed and died.

          :`( BOOO-HOOO….. that's the end, unless anyone can give me more ideas to carry this story on. Keep me informed, oh, I just remember something, there will be at least one more chapter. But if you have ideas, then email me! Maybe Iktomi will come back if I get enough people to say so. Good bye.


	11. A Smoking Coyote, A Shadow and Traitors

DISCLAIMER WITHSTANDING! Want to see some pix of myself, my sister (Jester Fraser) of Iktomi and, when I get around to it, other people in the stories? Then go to:

http://www.geocities.com/quidditch_champ_raven/Cotoye_Iktomi.html

Check it out…

A Smoking Coyote, a Shadow and Traitors

          It was the last weekend at Hogwarts; Harry, Ron, Hermione, Degas, Galileo, Binx, Jak, Remus and Sirius (recently declared innocent by the Ministry) were all at Hogsmead sitting outside the Shrieking Shack drinking their last bottles of butter beer.

          "I can't believe that I actually am Head Boy," Ron muttered. "Mum was so happy when she found out at the beginning of the school year last year."

          Hermione looked up at him and smiled. "Your mum must've been really happy!"

          "So," Harry smiled at them. "Everyone in your family thus far has been Head Boy?"

          Ron nodded. "And Ginny is expected to be Head Girl next year."

          "So what is everyone going to do now?" Degas asked looking at Hermione who had broken up with her.

          "Well, I am going to go visit Bill in America, I heard that working for Gringotts is actually very fun."

          "Well," Hermione smiled. "I am going to go work for the Ministry, Fudge came to me the other day and said that there might be a job open that I could do that involved a lot of knowledge. He said it was a surprise but he couldn't wait to tell me."

          "What about you Harry?" Binx asked.

          "Well, I was thinking about going to work for the Ministry, Voldemort is still out there and until he is dead, I have to keep my eye out for him."

          Just then an angel walked out of the Three Broomsticks. Ron squinted and gasped, nearly choking on his butter beer.

          "Ron!" Hermione gasped. "Are you all right?"

          Ron jumped up and ran off. Everyone watched as he and the angel hugged and kissed.

          "Rene?" Degas asked.

          Hermione and Harry nodded. 

          "It's amazing how small this world is." Binx smiled. "What do you think will happen between them two?"

          Ron and Rene came walking back up. "I just proposed and she said yes!" Ron shouted happily. Everyone cheered.

          "This calls for a celebration!" Sirius jumped. "Drinks on me at the Leaky Cauldron!"

          They all jumped up and ran off. They were running down High Street when Harry stopped suddenly and starred at a gap between two buildings. A gray-brown coyote was standing on its hind legs smoking a cigarette. It seemed to be talking to a shadow leaning against a wall that was out of Harry's view. The Coyote looked over at Harry, his paw on the other side of his muzzle as if it was telling Harry a secret. It stuck out its tongue and winked. Harry jumped and blinked but the Coyote and shadow were gone.

          "What's wrong Harry?" Sirius asked running back to him.

          "I saw a coyote, it was smoking a cigarette and it winked at me!" Harry exclaimed.

          Sirius shrugged and pulled him godson onward to the Leaky Cauldron.

          It was a hard night of solid drinking and celebrating. They were staggering around High Street making their way back to the castle when two people came running through the street. Harry instantly snapped out of his drunkenness and pointed to the forms.

          "It's that Coyote!"

          The forms turned around, Harry's breath caught in his throat. The two figures laughed and ran off. Harry collapsed to his knees in disbelief. 

          "Harry!" Ginny was running toward him. She threw her arms around his neck.

          "Please, not now Ginny, I am really drunk." Harry said holding his head. "What are you doing out here anyways? You should be in bed. It's midnight."

          "Actually it is two in the morning." Ginny said. "And Professor Dumbledore sent me out here personally to make sure you all made it home tonight." Ginny helped him to his feet. The others were way ahead of them still staggering. "What happened? You looked scared one moment, went white as a sheet then collapsed. The others are too drunk, they didn't even see you." 

          "I thought I saw something."

          "What?"

          Harry looked around but didn't see the shadow or the Coyote anywhere. "Nothing."

          "Humph," Ginny let him go and he nearly fell to the ground. "I know that we have only been going out a few months but you never seem to tell me anything!" she threw her hands over her head and stormed off.

          Harry starred after her, when she stormed off she reminded him of Hermione in those first years at Hogwarts. He smiled, laughed lightly and chased after her. He threw his arms over her shoulder and kissed her. "Sorry about that, do I really never tell you anything?"

          She glared at him sidelong. "You always seem to recoil, and you were the one to ask me out!"

          He stopped and hugged her. "I'm sorry Ginny." He sputtered. "I'll tell you when I am sober again."

          She put her arms around his waist to support him. "All right, you promise?"

          Harry hiccupped. "Yeah, I promise." 

          "So that's what I saw." Harry said eating a bit of chocolate.

          "A coyote, smoking cigarette, winked at you?" Ginny asked. "Harry, coyotes don't smoke and they certainly don't wink at people."

          "I don't know Ginny," Hermione pointed out. "You never know, I mean, Iktomi was a descend of a god right? He was the trickster in the Oglala Sioux culture, maybe Coyote is a god from another culture." Hermione shrugged. "Muggles have a lot of that you know, cultures and beliefs."

          "Religion?" Ron asked. "Is it like religion?"

          "Yes." Hermione nodded. 

          "But religious gods aren't suppose to be real, they are just stories." Ginny said with a frustrated look.

          Harry shrugged and looked around. Breakfast was almost over; exams should be arriving any moment now. Just then the owls flew in overhead baring the exam results. Ron jumped up and kissed Rene over and over in his happiness. Harry smiled and kissed Ginny and Hermione simply put her results away and smiled to herself. Degas, Galileo, Jak and Binx stood up and walked away. Remus and Sirius walked over Hermione, Harry and Ron to congratulate them.

          "I'm going to go to the bathroom real quick." Rene said and left. Ron watched her out of the door and out of sight, and then he looked back at his friends and cheered again.

          A quarter of an hour later a black raven soared into the hall and dropped a letter in Ron's hands. Ron read it and in a fury crumpled it up and ran out of the hall. Hermione and Harry looked at each other then read the letter.

          "Oh no Harry," Hermione sighed. "What now?"

          Harry glared at the letter. "We need to find her."

          Ronald Weasley:

              I have your love… come out, come out, where ever you are.

                            Voldemort

          Hermione and Harry ran out after Ron. Degas and the others stopped them.

          "What's the matter?" Binx asked. "Why was Ron running?"

          "He looked pissed." Jak said. "What's up?"

          Hermione tossed the letter to Degas, blew a kiss at her and they continued to run off. They examined the letter and ran off as well.

          Ron was in his room when Harry and Hermione came running in. He wasn't in his normal robes; he was wearing jeans, a white shirt and a vest over it. His hair, which was now long enough to barely scrap his neck, was now pulled back into a ponytail. He pulled on his gloves and glared over at his friends.

          "You can't stop me! Rene is my fiancée and I cannot allow Voldemort to keep her."

          Harry and Hermione pulled off their robes; they were wearing good fighting clothes underneath. Harry wore black jeans tucked into boots with a black tang top; Hermione had on black spandex under a think black material that ruffled and seemed to disappear, her shirt was black tang top and she pulled on black, fingerless gloves.

          "If you are going," Hermione said. "So are we."

          Ron nodded. "Thank you." He said. They transformed into black birds and flew off.

          "But they don't even have enough power to defeat Voldemort." Jak said. "They'll die surely!"

          "Will you help us, please?" Binx begged on bended knee.

          "We have wringed you before," Degas said shamefully. "And I am very sorry that I did! This is Harry Potter we are talking. Three innocent young lives that will die if you do not help, please help, you are the only chance we got."

          "HOW DARE YOU!" the coyote snapped. "YOU WHO NEARLY KILLED-"

          "And I am deeply sorry."

          Coyote and the shadow talked. Coyote nodded. "We will help you then. Go, and we will find you later."

          Galileo, Degas, Jak and Binx bowed and ran off.

          "You know you are making a huge mistake helping these people, you know that right?"

          Iktomi stepped out of his shadow and smiled. "Did I ever tell you that I loved Rene at one time?"

          Coyote growled and slinked off. "Bastard."

          Iktomi howled with laughter. "Come off it Coyote! These are children, we should help them."

          "Hardly children, they are not Crow!"

          Iktomi laughed again. "You do this and there will be more stories of you."

          Coyote looked at Iktomi sidelong. "More stories eh?"

          Iktomi nodded.

          "All right!" he declared. "How bad can this be?"

          Iktomi shook his head and shrugged. "I don't know how bad can it be?"

          Harry, Hermione and Ron were walking around the graveyard where Harry had met Voldemort not three years ago. Now here they were no clue where Voldemort really was, not having the slightest inkling as to what they were going to do if Voldemort really did show up. 

          Something snapped behind them, they wheeled around only to see a black wolf looking at them then it slinked off behind a tombstone. They looked into the sky, where under the crescent moon; a raven flew over head in the same direction as the wolf was walking. They looked at each other and then continued. Degas, Galileo, Binx and Jak approached them and were soon following them. Harry, Ron and Hermione knew this due to the fact that all seven of them could communicate through ESP.

          "Iktomi," Coyote whispered from his perch in a dying tree. "What now?"

          The wolf was scratching his ear; he was obviously enjoying it because he was leaning back and then fell over. He lay there for a little while and looked up at the raven. "I don't know Coyote; I don't know what to do all the time."

          Coyote flew down, transformed into a wolf and joined Iktomi on the ground soaking in the earth's last warmth. "Well, I suppose we have to watch them and see what happens."

          "Yeah, if Voldemort comes we'll watch, if they need our help, then we can help." Iktomi stretched and flapped his tail around. "Voldemort," he scoffed.

          Coyote yawned. "Who is this Voldemort? He sounds like a pussy."

          Iktomi looked at him. "Let's hear you say that when he comes around."

          "All right," Coyote smiled. "I'll march right up to this Voldemort and say-"

          A dark shadow fell over them as a man in cloak walked passed them. The man looked down at them eyed them for a moment before passing on.

          Iktomi and Coyote looked at the man and then at each other. They stood up and ran into the forest. They transformed into hippogriffs and flexed their wings. Coyote was a chestnut color; his golden eyes and razor sharp claws made him look handsome yet deadly as he was known to be. Iktomi was a deep blue-black color with his icy blue eyes. They looked at each other then proceeded to follow the man in a cloak. 

          Harry, Ron and Hermione crept around the tombstones and kept and eye out for the Dark Lord. They rounded a corner and saw something shift by the trees. They froze and looked on as two hippogriffs emerged from the forest and followed a man in a cloak. The cloak's hood fell back; Harry gasped to see Voldemort, who looked a couple years older then the memory of Tom Riddle he saw in his second year.

          "Where's Rene?" Hermione asked.

          Ron was swelling with anger and worry.

          Rene sat in the darkness. Her eyes were covered and she was tied to a chair. She could hear the water dripping somewhere, and she was very cold. She tried to think of how she got here. All she could remember was heading to the bathroom, when she was done she was walking back when something caught her eye. She turned a corner and all went black. She couldn't remember what happened; when she came too she was sitting a damp room. This ugly fat, short, balding man was tying her to a chair, when he saw she had her eyes open he quickly covered them. But before he did, she was able to glance at a very cute man who had this look on his face. What is that look? She was still asking herself.

          "Hey… hey!" 

          Rene shrieked.

          "Chill!" two hands slapped over Rene's mouth. "Stop screaming."

          Rene struggled.

          "Don't scream, promise that you won't scream and I'll remove my hands and your blindfold." Rene nodded. "All right then." The hands moved and tugged at the blindfold.

          Rene blinked several times and looked around. There was a single light coming from a tiny crack toward the ceiling. Rene looked around. "Who are you?"

          A figure moved through the small beam of light. Rene caught a figure with really short hair with four, think strands of hair braided over the left eye, which was the color of blood. It was wearing a black tang top and black and black pants that seemed to have elastic band at the bottom holding the pants to the persons mid-calf. The person was wearing weird shoes, they looked like spandex shoes, and they clung to the feet like a second skin, and the soles of the shoes was a thin layer of rubber.

          "Go back into the light please." Rene pleaded. 

          "Why should I?" the person asked. "I let you catch more then a glimpse of me."

          "Who are you?" Rene sighed. "Why are you here? Did you come here to kill me?"

          The person laughed. "Kill you? Well, sort of, yeah."

          Rene gasped. "Why did you bring me here!"

          "Calm down!" the person shouted. "What do you want to know?"

          "Who are you?"

          "I am who I am, my name is Stitch."

          "What are you?"

          "I am… a warrior."

          "So you are male."

          "No, I am female." Stitch laughed. "Did I look like a man?"

          "I didn't get to see you very long."

          Stitch was shifting then finally moved back into the light.

          Rene starred at her. Stitch's hair was black with silver and copper streaks in it. Her eyes were the color of blood with silver rims and her tanned skin was flawless. She looked around and walked back to Rene. 

          "Are you happy now?"

          "Why are you here?"

          "I'm here to pay back a debt." She said and tore the ropes off of Rene and pulled her to her feet. "You have to be quiet from here on out. I sort of have to… uh… kind of kill you."

          Rene quickly pulled away and tried to scream. But Stitch grabbed her and clamped her hand over Rene's mouth and pinned her to the ground.

          "Shut up!" Stitch growled. "Look, it isn't real death!" Stitch held out a little vile full of blue juice. "It is a potion, it'll make you merely look dead." Stitch got up and pulled Rene up again. "You can't leave this place unless you are dead. That is the spell Voldemort put on this place."

          "What?" Rene gasped.

          Stitch stretched. "Voldemort cursed this place, the only way you can leave is if you are dead. This vile is my own special potion, I made it, and I discovered it. It is a mix of witchcraft potions and my own medicine." She handed it to Rene. "I call it Dove's Blood."

          "It resembles nothing like blood." Rene said looking at it.

          "I know, but when you take it you are going to go to sleep and then you are going to dream about doves and blood." Stitch shrugged. "I don't know why, I am trying to work that out. But it doesn't matter, this will make your heart slow down to twenty beats a minute and it will stay like that for about a day. Are you willing to take it and get out of here semi-alive?"

          Rene whimpered and looked around. "What if I stay here?"

          Stitch growled and raised her hands. "What the fuck do you think!" Stitch barked. "If you stay here then you have a chance to live and actually get to marry Ron!"

          "How did you know I was going to marry Ron?"

          Stitch bit her tongue and slapped the vile into Rene's hand. "Just take it and let me get you out of here."

          Rene looked at her, eyed the vile then downed it quickly. "How long until it kicks-" Rene fell into Stitch's arms.

          "Oh, it is instant." Stitch pulled Rene's body over her shoulders. "And one more thing, you might be close to death but you can hear me, right? You can also see everything that happens. And by the time this is over, you may hate me."

          Rene looked dead, but her mind was racing with worries and possibilities.

          Stitch pulled a lighter out of her pocket and lit it. She looked around then walked toward a wall and climbed up a rope.

          Degas was whispering something to Galileo and Binx when Ron crept away from them and toward the Voldemort.

          "Um, Iktomi, does this mean we intervene?" Coyote asked eyeing Iktomi.

          "Um… okay, let's look at this, Voldemort is walking toward them, they are talking, Ron is walking toward Voldemort…"

          "So we intervene?"

          Iktomi looked at Degas who was now looking around for Ron. Iktomi shook his head. "No, not yet." Iktomi lay down and covered himself with his wings. 

          "Are you sure?"

          "This isn't immediate danger."

          "Eh," Coyote shrugged and joined him in another little nap.

          Stitch was in the trees watching two hippogriffs sleep, a young man approach a Dark Lord, and six other people. Stitch glared at Degas, Jak, Binx and Galileo who were glaring at Ron. Stitch looked over at Rene who was propped against the tree behind a few leaves of the branches. Stitch smiled at her.

          "Did you know that there are traitors down there with your fiancée?" 

          Rene's eyes were slightly open. 

          "Yeah, they are right down there." Stitch pointed down to everyone. "They have been traitors from the start." Stitch looked down at the cemetery. "I cannot believe that you are marrying him."

          Coyote raised his head. "I heard something."

          Iktomi growled. "What?" he raised his head quickly and caught sight of a shadow moving above him. "What was that?" 

          "So you heard it too?" Coyote asked.

          "No," Iktomi looked up and stood up. "I saw it."

          Coyote looked up and Iktomi dragged him to his feet. 

          "Ouch! Ouch!" Coyote yelped and transformed into a mouse and settled into Iktomi's mouth. Coyote could feel Iktomi transformed, then Coyote was spit out of a black jaguars mouth.

          "Come on brother," Iktomi flexed his claws and crawled up the tree. 

          "Oh, okay." Coyote whispered and transformed into a panther.

          They climbed the tree and looked around.

          "Coyote and Iktomi together," a voice laughed softly. "Two brothers together… I never thought I see the day when the two tricksters got together. Tell me, where's your other brother? For I would very much like to talk to him."

          "You mean Anubis?" Coyote asked. 

          Stitch came into a little bit of light for them. "Yeah, Anubis, I need to thank him for bring me back to life… again."

          "Again?" Coyote asked.

          "Wait!" Iktomi transformed into back to his human form and he looked at Stitch straight in the eye, their noses almost touching. "I know you," Iktomi pointed to Stitch. "You're that one chick…" Iktomi snapped his fingers trying to think. "Stitch! Your name is Stitch isn't it?"

          Stitch laughed. "Yeah, yeah that's me."

          "Wasn't Ron-"

          "Look at that." Coyote pointed to the man in the cloak sneaking up on Ron.

          "Shit," Stitch muttered and vanished.

          "Hey, where'd she go?" Coyote asked.

          Stitch let out a war whoop and kicked Voldemort in the back and pulled Ron into the trees.

          "Who are you!" Ron hollered.

          "Shh!" Stitch snapped. "Stop it, you nearly walked into Voldemort!"

          "I need to get Rene back, he has her!" Ron turned to go.

          Stitch pulled him back. "I have her!" Stitch said slowly but she had fangs and was baring them.

          Ron leaned back and looked around. 

          Stitch growled and walked off.

          "You look familiar." Ron said. 

          Stitch stopped, looked back at him and shrugged. "We've met before, you'll remember… sooner or later."

          Ron followed Stitch into the branches and back into the forest. Stitch stopped and looked around. Iktomi and Coyote were sitting on either sides of Rene smoking a cigarette. They looked up and cheered then went back to the cigarette.

          "Iktomi!" Ron smiled. "Rene!" he frowned and ran to her. "No… is she… no, Rene!" he clutched her body.

          Stitch ripped him back. "Get off her!" she took a cigarette from Coyote and lit it. She took a long drag and looked around. "She's not dead. She took Dove's Blood, a concoction of my own mind that makes it seem as if she is dead. You know, Juliet kind of thing."

          "Juliet?" Ron sniffled.

          Stitch rolled her eyes and blew out a jet of smoke.

          There was a sharp scream behind them, they swung around in time to see Degas, Galileo, Jak and Binx tying Hermione and Harry up and dragging them toward Lord Voldemort.

          "What's going on?"

          Iktomi and Coyote watched wide-eyed.

          "I told you there were traitors down there." Iktomi said taking another long drag from the cigarette. She looked at Rene. "Remember I said when this was over, you may hate me?"

          Ron looked at Rene. "She can hear you?"

          Stitch threw down her cigarette and nodded at Iktomi and Coyote who seemed to know what she was thinking. She looked back at Ron.

          "Yeah, she can hear me all right, and she can see me." Stitch tackled Ron and tied him up. She jumped out of the tree along with Iktomi and Coyote and started to walk toward Voldermort.


End file.
